


Osmosis and Soluble Hearts

by bbykrib



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Cheesy, F/M, Fluff, Teen Angst, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 14:09:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 33,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5542811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bbykrib/pseuds/bbykrib
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soul’s overwhelming anxiety from his prestigious private school was getting too much to handle and so (with a little help from his brother) he persuades his parents to let him switch to public school. Though skeptical, they decide he’s getting to that age where he can make his own decisions and thus Soul starts at Death City High. With a fresh start, Soul can be anyone he wants to be. At DCH he can reinvent himself and forget about the anxiety riddled teen he used to be.</p><p>Or so he thought.</p><p>A new school and new friends brings on whole new anxieties, not to mention falling for his lab partner. Soul has to try and balance his social life, school, pressure from his parents, and the undeniable crush on his new friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Blurry Face

**Author's Note:**

> hey everyone! this is my contribution to soul eater resonance bang (resbang) 2015!! this was a big challenge for me. this is the first multi chapter fic i've done and the most i've ever written. i really hope you enjoy it! i will be posting the link to my artists' work as soon as i can~

One year. One year was what they promised him. One year at the prestigious private school his brother graduated from with honors. The school renowned for its advanced curriculum and rich student body. One year at Dr. William Mort Academy (DWMA for short) and if Soul was unhappy, he could go to the local public school.

“Unhappy” hadn’t even begun to describe his 10th grade year at DWMA. If he had to sum it up, he’d say he felt trapped. Suffocated. Anxious. And a bit more than just unhappy. But thanks to those feelings, Soul found himself staring at the doors of Death City High right before the school year started.

He took a shaky breath before shoving the doors open. "If you want to go that badly, you can enroll yourself," his father had said. Fair enough, he thought, entering the eerily quiet building. School didn’t start for another week but the teachers were already coming in to prepare their classrooms. However with the lack of students the school was nearly dead quiet. It felt wrong.

Soul walked down a hallway off of the front entrance and passed the main office before finding the room he was looking for. He approached a door that was propped open slightly with a door stop.The faded plaque adorned upon the wood read “M. MJOLNIR, GUIDANCE COUNSELOR”.

Soul pushed the door open all the way. He was met with cool air hitting his face from the fan in the corner of the room. It was a sweet relief from the Nevada heat outside.

His eyes found a pretty woman with blonde hair waving around her face. The eye that wasn’t covered by an eye patch lit up when it found him. She smiled kindly at him. “Hi, uh, Mrs. M.. Mill-”

“Marie, you can call me Marie. You must be Soul Evans, right?” She asked, holding out her hand. Soul took it gingerly and nodded in response. “Please have a seat.”

Soul eased himself into the cushioned chair that sat across Marie’s desk. It creaked oddly underneath his weight and he figured it had probably seen better days. By the time he was settled, Marie had pulled out a file that had Soul’s name neatly printed on the tab.

“So the guidance counselor at your old school was kind enough to send your transcripts and any other important information over and I’ve already had a look at it all. We just need to discuss which classes you’d be interested in taking and you should be all set!” Marie slid a list of courses suited for eleventh grade over for Soul to look over. She also passed over a pen for him to circle his choices.

“Thanks,” he said, taking the list in his hand and scanning the courses. It all seemed pretty basic to him. He mentally checked off the classes he knew would give him the required credits. After mulling over which extra classes he wanted to take he grabbed the pen.

Before it could even hit the paper Marie spoke up once more. “Unfortunately we don’t offer the same courses as DWMA did. I see that you were in some of the special placement music courses? As well as a few of the other advanced classes, it seems.” She said, referring to the transcript on her desk. “If you’d like I’m sure we could transfer you into DCH’s band or perhaps-” Soul shook his head, interrupting her.

“No, that won’t be necessary. The advanced classes were my parents’ idea. To be honest, I kind of struggled in them and I think I’d do better in regular classes. I mean, uh, if that’s okay?” He asked, unsure. His parents had told him he could take whichever classes he wanted but he was still hesitant, wondering if he was actually allowed to make a decision for himself for once.

“Of course it’s okay,” Marie nodded. “And what about music? Would you like to continue that?” She asked.

He froze, suddenly feeling like something was gripping his chest. Memories of his last performance came flying at him. A dark stage with the spotlight on him, thousands of people waiting and watching. His parents and brother in the front row looking on expectantly. He could distinctly remember his airway closing and his fingers cramping as the music he had rehearsed bled out of his mind. How he sat in silence before his body caught up with his mind and he ran off stage.

He couldn’t play the way they wanted him to and play. He couldn’t play what _he_ wanted to play. He just couldn’t play. He didn’t want to bring the stress of his failure with him. This was supposed to be a fresh start.

Marie seemed to sense the tension, her gaze softening. She leaned forward in her chair, shedding some of her professionalism in order to connect to the young man in front of her. “I heard from your old school that you were a very talented pianist but if that’s not something you’d like to continue here, that’s perfectly okay. What’s most important here is that you feel comfortable and happy with the classes you’re taking.” Marie smiled brightly at Soul and it somehow managed to slightly relieve his stress .

He let out a sigh and wiped his clammy hands on his jeans, nodding. “Thanks, that uh, that’s good to hear.” It wasn’t that he wanted to quit playing completely. He just wanted to play his music without the pressure of a teacher breathing down his neck. Maybe he’d actually start to enjoy the piano again this way.

After finally picking all of his desired courses, Soul slid the paper back over to Marie who took it with a comforting smile. She looked over the form then nodded to herself, turning to her computer. “This all looks fine. I’m just going to write up your schedule and make sure your files are properly in our system and you’re good to go!”

She began typing away at her keyboard. The small office became quiet, the only sounds disrupting the silence were the humming of the fan and the _tap tap tap_ of the keys. Soul sat, leg bouncing and hands fidgeting with the edge of his shirt until he heard a final click of Marie’s mouse.

“Aaaaaand you are all set! You’re free to go, Soul.” She stood up and walked to the door, ready to see him out. Soul followed suit, amazed at how easy it was. As he walked away Marie called out to him, “I really think you’re going to like it here at Death City High. If you have any concerns, you know where my office is.” Soul smiled in thanks and gave a small wave as she retreated back into her office, closing the door softly.

Back out in the muggy summer heat of August, Soul looked up at the brick building he’d be spending most of his time in. In just one week, it would start. He felt a nervous type of excitement deep in his gut, the unknown future spread out before him.

 

* * * * *

 

Soul felt like he was going to puke. He managed to pull himself out of bed on time and was a little too excited to dress in his own clothes rather than a stuffy uniform, but that is where the excitement ended. He was now driving to school in what used to be his brother’s blue Lexus, feeling like he was going to throw up what little breakfast he had all over the nice leather interior. Wes would never forgive him, even if it wasn’t his car anymore.

He began to sweat as he pulled into the student parking lot, already almost filled with cars. He managed to find a parking spot but he didn’t get out of his car right away. He sat taking deep breaths and looked around. There were people everywhere. Climbing out of cars, getting off the bus, sitting on the wall outside, flooding into the building. Chatting. Laughing. Enjoying life. Everyone seemed way too thrilled to be back at school, but it was more likely that they were excited to see their friends again. Friends he didn’t have here.

“Yet,” he reminded himself. No need to be such a pessimist before he even got out of the car. It was then that he noticed everyone was staring at him. Well, at his car, that is. He glanced around at the other vehicles in the parking lot. Shit. Of _course_ his car would be the nicest here. Normally, any high schooler would be ecstatic over that. Gain some cool points and bragging rights right off the bat. But Soul was not a normal high schooler and anything that brought too much attention to himself was no good.

That was why he hated his hair so much. Not to mention his eyes. Though flashes of other odd hair colours (Was that someone with _pink_ hair?) caught his eye and he hoped maybe that was one thing he wouldn’t be judged for here. Unlike his old school, where dying your hair unnatural colours was strictly prohibited. Either way, it calmed his racing heart enough that he thought he could finally get out the damn car now.

“No time like the present,” he thought, repeating words his mother had always said. With one last deep breath he pushed the car door open and stepped out into the morning sun. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Maybe for all of the students to stop and gossip about him or perhaps even someone telling him right off the bat that _he didn’t belong there_ , but that’s not what happened. What did happen was mind altering. After a few of the students got a good look at his car and glanced at him, they kept moving.

Simple as that. No big scene, no one calling him out, just everyone going on about their business. He hadn’t even made it into the building yet and things were already different. He was finally feeling like this really was a clean slate. No one knew he was an Evans here. No one would be judging him for his looks or for not being as good as his brother.

He could finally be himself for once. Life had given him the chance to reinvent himself and this time he wasn’t going to fuck it up. He followed the crowd of students into the building, amazed at the difference from his first visit. The halls were filled with teenagers and teachers and so much _noise_. It was chaotic. While crowds weren’t his thing, he had to admit that he liked this. It was a lot better than being with snobs who walked around like they had sticks up their asses like they did at the academy.

Through the chatter and laughter Soul could hear a voice on the loudspeaker, reminding everyone to go to the gym to pick up their schedules and locker information. Soul made his way down a hallway and into the gym, which was packed. Along the walls were tables with teachers passing out packets. On each table read a sign, informing students that folders were sorted alphabetically by last name. Soul found the table labeled “E-H” and stood in line.

Once he reached the front, Soul was faced with the blank stare of an odd man. The teacher seated before him had gray hair and looked as if he hadn’t slept in years. His face was covered with scars that seemed to continue on under his lab coat. Soul tried not to stare.

The man adjusted his old glasses and sighed. “Name?”

Oh, right. “Evans,” Soul replied. “Soul Evans.” He waited for some sign of recognition in the teacher, but he only shuffled through the papers in front of him. After finding the correct packet he handed it over. Soul took it, nodding in thanks before turning away.

Finding his locker was easy enough with the school being so small. It was only two stories high but fairly wide. On the second floor by the eastern staircase he found his locker. As he was getting familiar with his lock, the normalness of the school was shattered by an idiot racing by on a skateboard.

Soul could feel a rush of air go past him. He turned just in time to watch a boy with blue hair fly past him.

“YAHOO! DEATH CITY HIGH! FUCK YEAH! YOUR GOD IS BACK FOR ANOTHER YEAR. GET OUT THE WAY BITCHES!”

Before the screaming monkey could make it to the end of the hallway, someone else came running up behind Soul. It was a petite blonde with wide green eyes and she was furious. “Black Star!” She yelled out. “Get your dumb ass back here!” She stopped and turned to Soul, who was petrified. “Can I borrow that?” She asked, gesturing to the lock in his hands.

He had no time to respond as she took it from his hands and hurled it down the hall. He watched in amazement as it met its mark, smacking right into the back of the boy’s blue head. The boy who called himself Black Star went flying off the skateboard, landing face first onto the linoleum.

Wide red eyes slowly moved back to the girl. He had to get a good look at the person who managed such a terrifyingly impressive execution. She was calm as she fixed an ash blonde pigtail that had come loose from the force of her throw.

“Not as good as a book, but that worked well enough.” She sent a smile Soul’s way. He stared in awe. “Thanks.”

There was movement down the hallway. Miraculously the boy had survived and was getting up. “What the SHIT Maka? What was that for?” He yelled, picking up the lock and rubbing his head. He left the skateboard idly rolling down the hall and made his way over to them.

Maka, he presumed, put her hands on her hips. “One, you’re not supposed to be skateboarding indoors,” she scolded. “And two, that skateboard isn’t even yours! I saw you take it from that freshman outside.”

“I was gonna give it back,” he reasoned.

Maka arched a delicate brow.

“Eventually.”

She rolled her eyes. “Suuuuuuuure you were.” She paused and then directed her attention to the new student behind her. “Can you at least give this nice young man his lock back?” She requested, gesturing to a dumbstruck Soul.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Here ya go shark face,” Black Star grumbled, shoving the lock back into Soul’s hands. He assumed that was a jab at his sharp teeth that were clearly showing from his open mouth. He didn’t feel much malice behind the words but snapped his jaw shut anyways.

Maka glared and pointed harshly down the hall, “Just go to class Black Star.” With one final wave the energetic boy bounded off, yelling at the top of his lungs at the other students as he went. Soul’s attention was brought back to the girl in front of him. She let out an exasperated sigh, shifting on her feet.

It was then that Soul noticed she was wearing thick combat boots and he was struck with the thought that she could most definitely kick his ass and, thanks to her skirt, look cute while doing it. Shit. He shook his head, trying to get his mind onto safer subjects.

“Sorry about that,” she said, looking sheepish. “And thanks again for lending me your lock.”

Soul grinned. “No problem. You’ve got crazy good aim.”

She let out a giggle that sounded like tinkling bells. He could get used to that sound. “Thanks, I try,” she shrugged. She took a couple steps back, lifting a hand to wave. “I’m gonna go return the skateboard. See you around?”

Soul nodded a bit too eagerly. “Sounds cool,” he replied. He watched her jog down the hallway and grab the skateboard. She turned and waved once more before turning the corner.

After finally managing to get his locker situated, Soul went off to find his first class. He double checked then triple checked his schedule, making sure he found the right room. Outside the door he took a deep breath, slouched his shoulders just so, and sauntered in like he owned the place.

Fake it till you make it, Evans.

The class was filling up quickly, friends finding each other and grabbing desks close together. Soul slinked his way near the back of the room and slid into a seat.

“WHAT’S UP, NERDS?” Soul jumped in his chair as the loud voice from earlier echoed in the classroom. None of the students seemed fazed at this sudden outburst, most either waving in greeting or ignoring the idiot completely.

Black Star looked around the room and grinned when his eyes landed on Soul. He jumped over a desk, nearly kicking someone in the face as he did, and plopped heavily into the seat next to Soul. “Hey! You’re that dude from this morning. Shark Face, right?”

Soul ran his tongue over his teeth self-consciously. “The name’s Soul, actually,” he corrected.

“Soul? Pfft, weird name,” he snorted, as if Black Star was completely normal. “Anyways, you new here?”

Soul rubbed his neck and coughed. “Uh, yeah. How’d you guess?”

“C’mon, I know all the peasants who go here. It’s a God’s job to know his disciples.” He said it so confidently, chest puffed out and everything, that Soul couldn’t even find it in him to laugh. Black Star clapped him on the back, hard. Soul lurched forward, surprised. “Whatta ya say newbie? Interested in becoming one of my underlings?”

“Uhh,” the teen responded eloquently.

“I mean, there ain't no one who knows this school as well as I do. You should feel blessed someone as amazing as me is even offering.”

This time Soul did laugh. This guy’s confidence was amazing. He held out his hand, grinning. “Why the hell not.”

Black Star’s grin matched his own as he smacked his hand and grabbed onto it. “Good choice, bro.” He sat back in his chair, kicking his feet out in front of him. “Where you from, anyways?”

Crap. Well, no point in hiding it, he thought.. Nervously he responded, “Uh, I used to go to DWMA actually.”

“Oh shit, really? Would say sorry for all the ass whoopings we’ve given you guys on the court but I’m really not.” Black Star cackled. “We fuck them UP.”

Soul snorted. He wasn’t wrong. While Soul wasn’t in the sports scene at the academy, he knew about all their losses to DCH. He heard rumors it was because DCH played dirty and cheated but he was pretty sure they were just sore losers.

Black Star shook his head. “Damn, can’t believe you were a fuckin’ bonehead.”

Soul grimaced at the odd name DCH had come up with for the students of DWMA. It was a low jab at the headmaster of DWMA, Doctor William Mort himself, who had a sunken in face and a broad shiny forehead, making his face look like a skull. Soul had never really liked it. He shrugged it off.

“Oh well, you’ve obviously seen the light.” He smashed his fists onto his desk and jumped to his feet. “Death City High fuckin’ RULES!”

“Black Star, sit down and shut up.” Soul bit back his laughter as their teacher entered, rolling her eyes. She was obviously used to his antics already.

Black Star huffed, reclining in his chair again. He flashed one more grin which Soul returned before they gave the teacher their attention.

The class passed by uneventfully, just first day basics, and then the bell was ringing. Walking back out into the hallway Soul realized he had survived his first class. Not only was it not bad, he actually made a potential friend.

Said potential friend came up behind Soul and smacked him in the arm. “See you later, bro!” He ran off, once again yelling about something. Soul rubbed his arm but smiled.

His next class was biology. He checked his schedule once more for the room number and began to search. He noticed on his journey that the walls were painted brightly with oranges and purples. He assumed they were the school colours. There were also posters advertising any and every extracurricular program the school had to offer, from Drama Club to the school’s revered basketball team.

At first Soul thought that the over enthusiastic Black Star just had an unusual amount of school spirit, but now he wasn’t so sure. It wasn’t that those at DWMA didn’t have spirit, they just didn’t express it the way the Death kids seemed to.

In the furthermost corner of the school, Soul found his next class. The room felt colder than the rest of the building and rather than desks, the space was filled with long metal tables. Soul looked around, finding there was already at least one person at each one.

“Hey, locker guy!” For the second time that day Soul’s eyes met bright, green ones and a glowing smile. “Need somewhere to sit?” The girl from that morning, Maka he remembered, patted the seat next to hers.

Ignoring the stupid butterflies in his stomach, Soul shuffled over and sat down. “Thanks,” he said gruffly.

“No problem. I’m Maka, by the way,” she mentioned, though he already knew. “Thanks again for this morning.”

Soul chuckled, “Don’t mention it. It kinda scared me honestly. Remind me not to piss you off.” Her tinkling giggle made another appearance. “Oh, and I’m Soul,” he coughed out awkwardly.

She smiled. “Nice to officially meet you.”

The butterflies only seemed to get worse but Soul chose to ignore them, settling into his seat and pulling out a notebook. The final bell rung and the teacher that had dealt with Soul in the gym rolled up to the front of the room on a wheeled chair. His calculating gaze roamed over everyone before landing on Soul. It was unsettling.

“Good morning class, I’m Professor Stein and I’ll be teaching biology 11 to you this year.” His features were broken by a crooked grin. “Hope you all enjoy dissections.”

A few kids shuddered, others made disgusted noises. This only seemed to please the deranged professor. Soul visibly gulped.

“Before we start, I’d like you to meet your new lab partners; that is, the person sitting next to you. Congratulations, you’re stuck with each other for the rest of the semester.” The man spun around in his chair till he was facing the black board.

“Looks like we’re partners,” Maka said, flashing a shy grin Soul’s way.

“Looks like it,” he agreed. He looked back up at the board and noticed Stein had started writing things down.

“In case you were wondering, you should be copying this down,” he said without looking back at the class.

Soul scrambled for a pen and began scribbling down the notes. None of it made sense to him and Stein seemed like the type of teacher that barreled on regardless. His anxiety rose. He took a peek at the girl beside him. When did she even open her notebook? She already had most of the page filled with neatly written notes.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered, eyes never leaving the page. “He may seem intimidating but he’s not so bad.”

Soul scoffed, hurrying to catch up. “How do you know?”

“Because,” Maka said, still quiet, “He’s my god father, I’ve known him my whole life.” Oh. She dragged her pen across the page to underline a phrase. “Plus, he managed to capture Marie’s heart so he’s gotta have some humanity, even if I’ve hardly seen it.”

Soul nearly dropped his pen. “Marie?” He whispered back. “As in the guidance counselor Marie?” He was staring incredulously between Maka and his professor.

She stifled a giggle. “That’s the one.”

“Holy shit.” Stein turned to look at Soul, raising one silver eyebrow. Soul quickly began scribbling down notes again, not sure his talk with Maka gave him any comfort. If anything, it just made him question the nice guidance counselor’s taste in men.

At the end of the class Soul’s hand was cramped and he could feel the beginnings of a headache. “I’m so fucked,” he breathed out, leaning back in his chair.

His new lab partner stopped packing her things and looked over at him. “It’s okay, I’m pretty good with classes like this and since we’re already partners, I can help you out.” Soul glanced at her, eyebrows raised. “That is, if you want,” she quickly added.

A teasing grin pulled at the edges of his mouth. “What, are you some sort of nerd or something?”

Maka flushed a pretty colour. She lightly punched the same spot Black Star hit earlier, Soul winced. “I am not! God, sorry I offered.”

Soul sat up abruptly, trying to keep his grin off his face. “No, no I was kidding! Seriously.” Though still glaring, Maka didn’t leave. “Your help would be great.”

Angry green eyes softened and a smile broke out onto her face. “Alright, you’re forgiven.” She picked up her bag. “See you later, partner.” The way she skipped out of the room reminded Soul disgustingly of the effect her smile had on his heart.

Yep, he was definitely fucked.

 

* * * * *

 

By the time lunch rolled around Soul had become mostly familiar with the school. He hadn’t had any other classes with Maka or Black Star but he found if he was alone he could actually concentrate.

After putting his new books away in his locker, he followed the gaggle of students down to the cafeteria. He stood in line with the rest of them, choosing the most appetizing thing on the menu, which happened to be a slice of pizza that was made up of 98% grease. Well, he found one thing he’d be missing from his old school. At least, the food at the DWMA didn’t look like it could cause cardiac arrest.

Soul turned around and almost expected the next few moments to play out like a scene from a teen movie, with all the tables separated into cliques and everyone staring at the new kid, wondering, “Where will he sit?” However, he found it was a lot more open. There were many people sitting alone and groups were mixing in whatever fashion they chose. He looked around for an empty spot when a wild, waving arm caught his attention.

“Hey, Eater! Over here!” Standing on top of one of the tables was Black Star, gesturing to Soul. The others sitting at the table were staring in Soul’s direction as well. He slouched into himself and made his way over. “There he is, Soul Eater!”

Soul set his tray down and sat on the bench, Black Star climbed down and plopped in the space next to him. “Who the hell are you calling ‘Eater’?” Soul asked.

His new friend shrugged. “Shark Face wasn’t workin’ for ya so I thought I’d try that out.” With a sigh, Soul shrugged. He supposed it didn’t sound too bad. “Everyone else, this is Soul. My newest worshipper.”

Soul looked up and found a table full of unfamiliar faces. The girl directly across from him with the long blonde hair who was checking her eyebrows in a compact mirror was named Liz. A younger version of the tall blonde leaned against her and giggled at something on her phone. Liz introduced her as Patty. A boy with dark skin and cornrows reached across the table to pound his fist with Soul’s, telling him his name was Kilik.

“Oh, Soul! Glad to see you found your way to us.” Soul looked up and found Maka balancing her lunch tray on a stack of books. Beside her stood a tall and elegant girl with her black hair piled in a bun upon her head.

Soul’s mouth pulled into a crooked grin. “Same. Though it was more like God calling to me.” He threw his thumb Black Star’s way.

Maka rolled her eyes. “Of course. Oh! This is Tsubaki,” she introduced. The girl beside her gave a shy wave before sliding in beside ‘God’ himself. Maka made her way around the table and slid in next to Soul. He tensed up. She set her books aside and picked up an apple. She looked around the table. “Where’s everyone else?” She asked.

There was more to this group? This was already more than Soul was used to.

“Harvar’s still in line, and I think Kim and Jackie are spending lunch together today since they didn’t see much of each other over summer break,” Kilik explained.

Maka nodded, munching on her apple. When the one they called Harvar had arrived, Soul was feeling less tense and conversation was flowing freely. Black Star had outed him as a so called ‘bonehead’ and they all had a bit of fun teasing him (though the insult seemed to agitate Liz, he couldn’t tell why).

He learned they were all the same grade besides the sisters. Liz was a grade above them and Patty a grade below. Some of them had only become friends in high school while others had known each other all throughout their school years. He was entertained to find out Maka and Black Star had known each other since they were in diapers. It explained their sibling-like dynamic.

He found out that not only was Black Star on the basketball team, he was the captain. (“He basically self appointed himself as captain without our say. Buuut Coach Nygus wouldn’t have let him stay as captain if he didn’t have any talent,” Kilik had said. “Even if she is his mom.”). They invited Soul to join but when he refused, insisted he had to at least play casually with them from time to time. He agreed to that happily.

As lunch hour passed Soul was feeling less and less stressed and more like he actually might be accepted here. He ignored the fact that he had barely given them any personal information and that he was trying extremely hard to keep it cool. Didn’t need to scare them off right away. Especially not the pretty girl who sat next to him with her nose in a book the whole time.

Mercifully the rest of the day passed easily. A few of the people he had met at lunch even waved goodbye to him as he climbed back into his car (which was now ignored, the novelty of it having worn off). With only a few small bumps, he had made it through. The worst of it was over. Though his anxiety would still plaguing him, he felt like this school year wouldn’t be all that bad.

Soul quickly learned that the first day was easy compared to how the next couple of months went. His schedule was so full that he didn’t have time to worry about the same things he did at the start of the year. Each day he had a new assignment or project to work on (whether or not he did them was something else entirely) and when he wasn’t in school he was hanging out with his new group of friends.

It had taken a while to realize that yes, this ragtag team of people were indeed his friends. He managed to fit in so seamlessly that it almost felt too easy. Or maybe making friends at DWMA was just incredibly hard (what with nearly everyone being high maintenance snobs). He did have one friend from there, however they hadn’t spoken since the end of last year. He should really send him a text.

Perhaps the most surprising realization Soul had was that he was looking forward to his classes. Or at least one class in particular. Each day, he could hardly wait for Biology. The class was difficult and he could hardly keep up but one person made it all worthwhile.

After the awkward first day niceties, Maka became a lot more like the fiery girl he had met by his locker and watching her get riled up had become one of Soul’s favourite pastimes. He learned exactly what to say or do to tick her off. This explosive temper of hers provided him with a bit of entertainment during Stein’s boring and lengthy lectures

They would tease each other and bicker almost constantly but ultimately, they got along. It was an odd friendship, to say the least, but it worked out.

The days passed peacefully like this and before Soul knew it, he was an irreplaceable part of the group.


	2. In Too Deep

When the leaves changed their colours and each store was covered in cheesy Halloween decorations, Soul’s brother came to visit. He normally popped in every other week or so but university had been keeping him busy, so his sudden visit caught Soul by surprise.

It was on a weekend in the middle of October and Soul was in the kitchen, making an elaborate sandwich. He was in the middle of fighting back tears due to the red onion he was chopping when he heard the front door swing open.

“Hello! Anyone home?” Wes called from the foyer. Soul jumped, nearly slicing his finger clean off. He grumbled and put his knife down, turning as the tall blonde entered the kitchen. “Ah, Soul! So good to see you. Are you crying?”

Soul glared and wiped his eyes. “Cutting onions,” he explained. He leaned against the counter.

“Are you making one of your sandwiches?” Wes asked excitedly, reaching around to grab a sliced pickle. The younger Evans smacked his hand away.

“Yes, I am and no, you cannot have any. I need to save these ingredients for my lunches.” Soul grimaced. “I can’t do the cafeteria food at my new school.”

Wes jutted his lower lip out into a pout that very few could resist, but Soul, unfortunately, was unmoved. He shrugged. “Oh well, I’m going out for lunch in a bit anyways.” He hopped up onto the opposite counter by the sink and began swinging his long legs back and forth. “So little brother, besides the terrible lunch menu, how is your new school?”

Soul shrugged, turning back to chopping onions. “It’s not too bad. Like it a lot more than the academy, that’s for sure.”

“Good! Make any new friends?” His brother asked.

Soul hesitated, knife hovering over the vegetable. He had a feeling he knew where this conversation was going. “Yep,” he answered shortly, popping the ‘p’.

“That’s good. Anyone special?” Talking to his younger brother was like pulling teeth.

Soul moved the slices of onion from the cutting board to the pile of other veggies that was growing on a slice of bread. “Not really,” he lied.

“Hmm, that so?” He was pushing now.

Soul sighed and turned back to his brother. “Wes, what is this about?”

Blue eyes studied Soul’s face as the older brother hopped down from the counter. “Alright, Mom and Dad asked me to check up on you. They said you haven’t told them anything about DCH and they’re worried. They just wanna know that you’re enjoying your time there. And, honestly, so do I.”

Soul rolled his eyes. Of _course_ they sent Wes to gather information. He never told them much of anything, mostly because they didn’t listen, always thinking they knew better. It was thanks to Wes that they even let him switch schools. They had always taken him more seriously. Oh well, might as well give him the truth. It would get his parents off his back at least.

“I _am_ enjoying my time, Wes. Seriously. I managed to make a few friends and the classes aren’t that bad. Only one I’m struggling with is Bio but... I uh, I got someone in that class that helps me out.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “She kind of makes it a lot less crappy.”

A knowing grin grew on his older brother’s handsome face. “Well that’s good Soul. Really good.”

“I know they’re just worried but I don’t regret my decision. You can report to the parental units that I’m happy and they can chill.”

Wes snorted. “Alright, will do little bro,” he checked the nice watch on his wrist then glanced back up. “I gotta go again, have to see someone about a new composition before my lunch date. Things have been slowing down a bit at school so I’ll try to come by more often.” He walked back towards the front of the house. “Let me know when you and Bio girl become official!” He called behind him.

“Go to hell, Wes!” Soul shouted down the hallway.

He heard a muffled, “Love you too!” right before the front door slammed shut.

Then the house was quiet again. There was no sign to show that his brother had even been there besides the growing blush on Soul’s face. What a jerk. He turned back to his food and finished his sandwich, pushing thoughts of “Bio girl” far from his brain.

It was a few days later at lunch when Maka asked Soul out. Or rather, invited him out. Along with the rest of their friends (but it didn’t make his heart pound any less). The Halloween dance was coming up and everyone agreed that it was one of the biggest events of the school year and Soul just _had_ to attend.

“If you haven’t been able to tell, they’re kind of obsessed with Halloween around here,” Liz said while filing her nails. “I could do without it though, to be honest.”

Patti giggled beside her. “That’s just ‘cuz you’re scared of all the ghosties and goblins!” Liz visibly shivered.

She wasn’t wrong though, as soon as October 1st hit the school’s halls were filled with cotton cobwebs and skeleton mannequins decorated every classroom. Everywhere he looked Soul found another jack-o-lantern, which wasn’t that surprising seeing as it was the school’s mascot, but they were literally _everywhere_ (more than once he had tripped over one and gone home with gunky pumpkin shoes). Not to mention the paper bats hanging from the ceilings and the corny spooky themed food they were selling in the cafeteria. It was a bit much.

Soul shrugged, picking at the crust he had left over. “I dunno, dances aren’t really my thing.”

“ _Laaaame_ ,” Black Star commented, flinging some of his “monster mashed potatoes” at the table next to them. Tsubaki took the spoon from him, earning a pout from the blue-haired maniac.

“Oh, really? That’s a shame. I’m sure it’d be lots of fun if you went along with us. Even if it was just for a little bit.” The green eyed girl beside him looked like she was trying to hide a pout and God dammit, he couldn’t say no to that face.

“Well, maybe if it’s just for a bit…” she lit up, smile glowing. “When is it?”

“Well it’s the day before Halloween, actually. I think the school’s convinced if they keep us busy on the 30th then no one will go out vandalizing and pulling pranks,” Maka explained.

“Which is bullshit because I just go out after the dance,” Black Star cackled.

Maka rolled her eyes. “Anyways, it’s at seven on the 30th. Oh! And a costume is mandatory to attend. We have a costume contest and everything. It’s a lot of fun.”

“Ugh, a costume is mandatory?” Soul asked, making a face. How uncool.

“Oh woman up, Evans,” Kilik said, kicking him lightly under the table. “You’re in high school, _live a little_.”

Though he rolled his eyes, he couldn’t help but agree. He did say he’d try new things this year. And dressing up a little wouldn’t kill him. Probably.  “Alright, I’ll go. _And_ I’ll dress up,” he added.

Black Star seemed entirely too excited and Soul didn’t trust the look in the sisters’ eyes but Maka seemed happy, and that was enough for him. Honestly, what’s the worst that could happen?

 

* * * * *

 

The day before the dance, Soul managed to find a pair of black horns and even a little tail that could easily connect to his belt loop. He dug in his closet for the nice red dress shirt and black slacks he had worn for his last concert (a concert he had only attended for the grade in his music class). Put it all together with his natural features and he was the perfect demon.

Even with putting only minimal effort in, Soul thought he looked kinda good. At least good enough for a costume party. And he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a _little_ excited.

He showed up to the school a little after seven and there was a crowd waiting outside the front doors. Everyone was in a costume, they all ranged from elaborate to thrown together the day of. Either way, Soul felt a lot less foolish than he had when he left the house.

He texted Maka to let her know he had arrived. He wasn’t sure what she was dressed up as, so he had no idea who (or what) to look for. He received a reply a second later.

**Maka [7:09 P.M.]:**

_i’m near the doors! look for the halo. ^o^_

Oh good, she was an angel. And he was a demon. Great. Now people were going to think they planned this. He sighed but did as he was told, keeping a look out for a short blonde with a halo. He tried to call out to her when he found her, but choked on her name.

For a moment he was convinced an actual angel had come down to attend a high school dance. Standing under the lights by the doors was Maka looking truly angelic. She had a glittering halo attached to a headband and her hair was in its usual pigtails. A simple white dress flowed out to just above her knees and furling out from her back was a pair of feathered wings. She spotted him and waved excitedly. As he approached he noticed her face was sparkling from what he could only assume was glitter makeup.

If he didn’t know her better he’d say she was a perfect angel but he had bruises and two months of getting to know her that proved otherwise. He stated as much. “An angel, Maka? Really? I think my costume suits you a bit better.”

_Smart thinking, Evans. Insult her to cover up how pretty you think she is. Smooth._

The pretty angel in question socked Soul, hard, in the arm. “Jerk! I’m a perfect angel!”

Soul rubbed his sore arm but laughed anyways. “Alright, sure. Whatever you say.”

She pouted. “Yeah well, you’re a perfect demon,” she muttered.

Sharp teeth glinted under the lights when Soul grinned. “Damn right I am.” The angel beside him rolled her eyes. “Anyone else from our group here yet?” He asked her, looking around the crowd.

“I think I saw Black Star running around earlier. Really wish I hadn’t, though. I think he came as Tarzan. He was wearing only a loin cloth and yodeling at the top of his lungs.” She shrugged.

Soul shuddered. He hoped the loin cloth covered the important bits. No one needed to see that.

“Oh, look who we have here! Aren’t you guys just the cutest?”

Soul turned to find a stunning Liz Thompson heading their way with Kilik in tow. Her hair was in an intricate braid atop her head and she wore a beautiful toga that flowed around her. Gold accessories sparkled under the lights. Kilik was dressed similarly and Liz looked smug with her arm linked with his.

“Are you guys planning on entering the couple’s contest? I’d say you’d have a chance at winning, but Kilik and I make amazing Greek Gods so I’m not too sure,” Liz teased.

Maka scoffed and Soul sputtered. Couple’s contest? They weren’t a couple!

Maka seemed to read his mind. “We’re not a couple,” she protested. “And we didn’t plan this, it’s just a coincidence.”

“Hmm,” Liz looked thoughtful. “Maybe it was fate?” She joked.

“I agree,” Kilik said, mischievous smile matching the Goddess’. “It was meant to be.”

Soul continued to sputter, too shocked and embarrassed to deny them. Maka looked exasperated but somehow knew nothing she could say would stop their teasing. She glanced at Soul.

“Don’t worry about it,” she whispered. “They’re just messing with us.”

Soul nodded stiffly. Luckily the teasing stopped shortly after thanks to the doors finally opening. Monsters and ghouls alike flooded into the school and into the gym.

The gym was dark, the only light coming from coloured lights up by the DJ booth and orange lights strung up throughout the whole room. Fog from a machine filled the floor and music blasted from speakers. The bass was intense and Soul immediately felt overwhelmed.

 _Deep breaths, you can do this_.

“BROOOO!” Oh, fuck. A hand came and smacked Soul in the back, causing him to stumble forward. Black Star (or Tarzan) came into Soul’s view, grinning like a madman. Maka was right, he was in nothing but a brown loincloth and some fake vines looped around his shoulder.

“Are you ready to fuckin party?” Black Star yelled over the music.

Soul couldn’t help but laugh. “Sure, bro. Let’s get fucked,” he snarked.

Black Star nodded approvingly, “That’s my minion. I’m gonna go find Tsu, she’s dressed as Jane and we’re gonna enter the couple’s contest.” And with that he was off again, shoving his way through the crowd.

Again with the couple’s contest. Maka had wandered over to Kim and Jackie, who were dressed as a witch and a black cat. Soul walked over and nudged Maka.

“Why’s everyone so obsessed with this couple’s contest?” He asked.

“Hm? Oh yeah, that. The winners get free coffee from Deathbucks for a month. Pretty cool, huh?” She grinned. “Maybe we should join? Everyone thinks we came together anyways.”

Maka shrugged and tried to look nonchalant but Soul could tell just asking made her nervous. He contemplated it. Free coffee _was_ pretty tempting. Especially with end of term exams coming up.

“Ohhho no you don’t,” Kim cut in. She put her hand on her hip, glaring from under the rim of her witch hat. “Jackie and I look too cute _not_ to win. Don’t think that your weird angel/demon sexual tension bit will get you that prize.”

Soul turned as red as his shirt.

Maka sputtered in response. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Oh puh-lease. You two have been doing this weird dance around each other since September. And I’m still not convinced you two didn’t plan _this_.” She gestured to their costumes.

“Oh my God,” Maka groaned. “We did not plan this!” Soul nodded beside her.

“But you know what? We’re gonna enter that contest and win anyways, just to spite you.” Soul stopped nodding. Wait, they were gonna what?

“Besides, how are you and Jackie a couple?” Maka asked, raising her eyebrows.

Kim smiled and tugged Jackie closer. “C’mon, every witch needs her black cat.” Jackie’s cheeks burned. “And this kitty owes me a dance. Good luck in the contest!”

The two girls sauntered off onto the dancefloor that was quickly filling up. Soul and Maka stood in shocked silence for a moment. Soul glanced at the fuming angel beside him. “Are you really gonna enter us in that contest?”

Maka turned to him. “Yes,” she paused, “If that’s okay with you?”

Soul sighed then shrugged. “Guess so, as long as I don’t have to do anything.”

Maka shook her head. “Nah, just have to stand on stage with everyone and the students take a vote.”

Though the idea of being on a stage was terrifying to him, the fact he wouldn’t be alone helped calm him. “Alright, we can sign up.”

Maka nearly jumped for joy. “Goodie! I’m gonna go find Marie and register us. See you on the dancefloor?”

“Uh, maybe? I think I’m gonna go check out the snack table, actually.” No way did he want to be in the middle of hot, sweaty, hormonal teenagers.

Though she looked downcast for a short moment, Maka shrugged it off and headed out into the crowd. Soul looked towards the table filled with Halloween treats and felt it calling his name. If all else went horribly wrong tonight, at least there was free food. Thank God they hired actual caterers instead of having the regular lunch staff provide the food.

He was joined a few times by a few people he knew (Patti in full cowgirl gear, pointing her fake gun at Soul and cackling madly and Harvar who managed to look cool in his X-Men Cyclops costume) but for the most part Soul was left alone. The food was good and the music wasn’t all that awful, if not a little loud, so Soul couldn’t complain.

Besides, from here he got a good view of the dance floor and watching Maka do… whatever it was she was doing was great entertainment. More than once he choked on candy watching her jerk wildly. If he squinted and turned his head a bit it might look like she was dancing. To make matters even more hilarious, the other dancers had an incredibly hard time trying to avoid Maka’s fake wings.

About an hour into the dance Maka made her way to Soul, helping herself to the punch on the table he was leaning against. He could see a layer of sweat on her skin and her hair was starting to frizz but she was beaming ear to ear.

Soul let out a chuckle. “Hey there. Having fun?”

She gulped down the punch and let out a satisfied sigh. She nodded. “Tons. You sure you don’t wanna join us out there?”

Soul shook his head. “No thanks. If I leave my position someone might take all the food,” he joked.

“Oh, yeah? Kinda like what you’ve been doing all night?”

He shrugged, grinning. She seemed to understand what he wasn’t saying though and she dropped it.

“Well, I need a break so I’ll hang out here for a bit. Maybe snack on some of what’s left before you get your chompers on it.” She leaned against the table with him. She was close enough that Soul could feel the heat radiating off of her.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, Maka chewing on gummy candy (the only type Soul didn’t like, his teeth made it difficult to chew them) and swaying slightly to the music.

He watched as she swayed - out of rhythm of course - and fought back laughter. He tried to disguise it as a coughing fit but Maka knew better. She spun to face him.

“What’s so funny?” She demanded.

Soul shook his head, putting his hands up placatingly. “Nothing, nothing. I swear. Just, uh, wondering what it is you’re doing?”

Gold eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. “What do you mean? I’m dancing! What does it look like I’m doing?”

“It looks like you’re freaking out because someone dropped a bug down your dress,” he stated plainly.

He covered his head with his arms as she smacked him. “Don’t be so rude!”

She looked pissed but Soul couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry, sorry. I mean, I knew you had bad taste in music from when you lent me your earbud in class that one time but I didn’t know you had two left feet as well.”

Even in the darkness of the gym he could see her face turning red. “What do _you_ know about dancing?” She snapped.

Soul considered that for a moment. “Well,” he began, “besides taking actual lessons, I just know how music works and how to move to it.”

Maka’s eyes widened, anger momentarily forgotten. “You took dancing lessons?”

Soul shrugged, not wanting to elaborate. “Yeah, mom forced me a while back.”

Maka seemed to mull something over in her head. “Can you,” she started, a blush forming on her cheeks. “Well, I mean… do you think you could teach me? How to dance that is.”

Oh. He didn’t expect that. “Uh,” he replied. “What I learned in those lessons wouldn’t help much with this type of music,” he explained.

“But you know how to dance to this music too, right?”

Yes, he did. It involved a lot of hip movements and if you were dancing with a partner it usually involved a lot of closeness. Two things he wasn’t sure he could handle doing with Maka.

“Yeah, I guess,” he answered.

“Then teach me!” She exclaimed, grabbing his hands. “Please?”

Oh, God. Could those eyes _get_ any bigger? He had years of experience saying no to Wes’ puppy dog face but to Maka’s he was weak. He sighed in resignation.

“Alright, yeah, sure. I’ll teach you.”

All of her former anger vanished completely. She squeezed his hands and smiled. “Thank you! Oh, a good song just came on too. Teach away.”

Maka let go of his hands (thank God, they were getting sweaty) and moved back from the table. She motioned for him to join her.

Soul pushed off from the table and took the few steps toward her. Alright, how was he going to go about this? He allowed the song that just came on to wash over him. It was a remix of a slow paced song but with the added beats it sped up its’ tempo.

He let his hands hover above her waist and he couldn’t help but notice the contrast between his tanned skin and her white dress. “May I?” He asked, glancing from her waist to her furrowed brow.

She looked entirely too concentrated, it made him smile. “Go ahead,” she replied.

He placed his hands on her hips and a warmth spread through him. He hoped she couldn’t tell how nervous he was.

“So what you were doing before,” he said, moving her hips stiffly from side to side, “Was this.” He purposefully missed the beats and made her movements awkward.

Maka frowned. “And that’s not right?”

“Nope.” Soul slowed her movements till they stopped completely. “You gotta listen to the song and move in time with it.

He waited a moment for the song to pick up again. Once it did he started moving her hips, this time to the music. He brought her hips closer to him then swayed them back out. She was looking down at his hands, lip between her teeth.

“Maka,” Soul said softly. She looked up and he smiled. “Don’t be so serious. If you think too hard about it you’ll trip over yourself.”

She took a deep breath then smiled. “‘Kay, got it.”

Soul’s breath seemed to get caught, he cleared his throat. “Uh, so, yeah,” he stated awkwardly. He lightly let go of her hips and looked away. “Basically move your hips in a figure eight like that, to the music, and you’ve got it.”

Maka nodded, continuing to move her hips even without his help. The song slowed down and so did Maka, moving her hips slowly and bringing her arms up above her head. She closed her eyes and smiled, getting lost in the beat.

Soul watched her with burning eyes. She was still a little stiff and jerked randomly at some points but for the most part she got it. She moved almost sensually to the song and when she opened her eyes again she was looking straight at him.

It was at that moment Soul realized he was utterly screwed. Standing in a gym that was filled with people and music and all Soul could see was Maka. This random girl that just plopped into his life and helped him in his classes and made sure he never felt left out. This girl who could cause a concussion one second and smile sweetly the next. She was intimidating and beautiful and holy shit.

Holy _shit_ . He liked her. He liked her dorky pigtails and her fiery temper and the way she couldn’t dance and _shit._ He was so screwed.

The song faded and ended, another song starting up immediately after. Maka stopped dancing and walked back over to Soul.

“So?” She asked, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. “How’d I do?”

Soul blinked, coming out of his trance. “What? Oh! You did good. I mean, not bad, considering.” He rubbed the back of his neck and avoided looking directly at her.

“Oh ha-ha,” she said, placing a hand on her hip. “I think I was a pretty good student.”

“Maka! C’mon, it’s our jam!”

Soul looked up and saw Liz calling to her from the dancefloor. Tsubaki was with her but the raven-haired girl was looking straight at Soul. She had a look in her eye he couldn’t place.

Maka waved at Liz then turned back to Soul one more time. “I’m gonna go join them. Thanks for teaching me!”

She placed her hand on his arm, flashing him a genuine smile, then skipped out to join her friends.

Soul heaved a long sigh once she was gone. He leaned back against the table and was annoyed to realize his eyes found the dancing angel once more. She had paused her dancing as Liz whispered something in her ear. She jumped back, glanced at Soul then lightly smacked the older blonde in the arm. Liz only laughed and put her arm around her. After a moment Maka seemed to forgive her and they began dancing again.

God, he needed to cool down. He moved along the edge of the gym until he reached the doors leading out to the hallway. He was immediately blinded by the florescent lights. He took a moment to adjust, his ears ringing as the booming music quieted to a dull thudding behind him.

There was a group of people outside of the bathrooms, the girl’s room seemingly more crowded. Soul squeezed his way through into the men’s room which was mostly empty besides a mummy and a priest with music blaring from earbuds around his neck.

After getting rid of the multiple cups of punch in his system, Soul stood at the sink. He mindlessly washed his hands, staring at his reflection. His face was flushed and whether it was from the heat of the dance or his newfound feelings was unclear. Bare skin and shocking blue snapped him out of his daze as Black Star sauntered into the restroom.

“Oh, Soul! There you are,” he said, voice echoing off the tiles.

“Here I am,” Soul replied. He turned off the water and leaned against the counter.

He had to avert his eyes as Black Star stood at a urinal. A moment later he joined Soul at the sink, turning the tap on full blast and dousing his hands.

“So,” he began, shutting off the water and shaking his hands out. “I see you’ve been getting pretty chummy with Maka.”

Soul’s eyes widened, head swiveling around to stare at his friend. “What? No I haven’t,” he denied.

“Uh-huh, sure,” Black Star said, rolling his eyes. “Anyways, you two do whatever you wanna do. Frankly, I don’t wanna know because _gross._ ” He made a face. “But if you hurt her at all, you’re gonna regret it. Big time.”

The two were facing each other now, Black Star’s tone of voice unusually serious for his barbaric behavior.

“Wha- Dude. I’m not gonna hurt her.” Soul stated defensively, “Nothing’s even going on.”

“Hey, I’m not saying you will. Just saying if you _do_ shit’ll go downhill real fast. Not that she can’t take care of herself or anything. Hell, she’d probably kick your ass so hard there’d hardly be anything left for me. So, you know, don’t hurt her.”

Soul wanted to once more deny the fact that there was anything going on but he had never seen Black Star take anything this seriously. Instead, Soul just sighed and gave his friend a short nod.

“We’re just friends but I hear you loud and clear. I’m not gonna hurt her,” he repeated.

This seemed to satisfy Black Star. He grinned. “Cool, bro. Good to know. Now I gotta get back out there, don’t want the people waiting _too_ long for their God.”

His laughter bounced off the walls long after he had gone. Soul slumped against the sinks and let out a breath. While it was true there was nothing going on between him and Maka, it didn’t mean there wasn’t something going on inside of him.

Back in the gym, Maka was standing by the stage looking around for Soul. She finally spotted his figure and her eyes lit up, she raised her arm over the crowd and waved him over. With Black Star’s warning echoing in his head, he walked over to her.

“Hey! Contest is about to begin. We have to go stand on stage now,” she said, grabbing his hand.

He let her drag him up with the rest of the contestants and their hands remained connected once they were in place. His heart pounded in his ears and for once, it wasn’t the stage that was frightening him.

At that moment, nothing was more frightening than knowing the platonic feelings he thought he once harboured had plunged into something more. As she squeezed his hand and smiled up at him while students took their vote, he knew he was in way above his head.

After the contest had ended (Liz and Kilik won first prize which surprised almost no one. They truly looked like Greek Gods among men.) Soul claimed he had a headache and left early. He promised he would see the group the next day at Black Star’s for scary movies and candy but for now, he wanted to go home.

Exhausted from socializing and emotional revelations, Soul crashed into his bed. The last thing he saw before sleep took him was burning emeralds and golden feathers.


	3. You Make Me Happy (Whether You Know It Or Not)

The weeks following the Halloween dance were filled with some of the most awkward tension between Soul and Maka. He came up with any and every excuse not to be alone with her. Biology turned into a source of dread for him. He tried so desperately to act as though nothing had changed but each time he looked at her his mind would go into overdrive.

He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to act now that his feelings were far from platonic. Honestly, the pounding of his heart and the butterflies in his stomach were getting annoying. So until he figured out how to control his emotions, he’d avoid her. If she noticed at all, she didn’t mention it. The most she would do is give him odd looks whenever he excused himself. For a while that worked out pretty well.

Unfortunately, the world (aka Professor Stein) had other plans. Two weeks before Thanksgiving weekend their deranged Professor assigned a group project that would be due the day before the holiday. 

“This is not something you can slack on and do last minute. Your effort reflects on your partner. Don’t bring them down with you.” The reflection on his glasses made it hard to tell, but Soul was sure he was looking right at him.

Project outlines were passed out to each group and Maka eagerly read it over. The end of class bell rang and students began moving. She turned to Soul. “Guess we gotta work together for this. Maybe now you’ll stop avoiding me,” she said lightly.

Soul gaped. She figured it out. Not that he had been very subtle in the first place. “I, uh, what are you talking about?” He sputtered.

She gave him a look that clearly stated she was  _ not _ impressed.

He sighed. “Yeah, okay, I’ve been a bit distant lately,” he admitted.

Maka frowned. “Did I do something wrong?”

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. The last thing he wanted was for her to think that this  _ thing _ he had going on was her fault.

“No, no that’s not it! It’s just, ugh, how do I explain it?” He chewed on the inside of his cheek while he thought. He couldn’t tell her the truth. She didn’t need to know about his crush. He groaned internally, then got an idea. 

“Okay so, basically Halloween was a lot of fun, right?” She nodded at him. “But, like, that was a lot of socializing for me. And that kind of stuff sort of wears me down so, uh, I’ve just been taking a mental break.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth.

Maka looked relieved. “Oh, good. Well, not good that it wore you out,” she amended. “But good that you’re not mad at me.”

Soul gave a timid smile. “Yeah, definitely not mad at you.”

She returned the smile. “So are you feeling better? Would you feel up to coming over so we can work on this project?”

Though his heart skipped a beat at the thought of going to her house, Soul agreed. He’d find a way to keep his feelings under wraps. He didn’t want her doubting herself anymore.

“I can come over whenever, really,” he said. “Just say when.”

“Great! How about today after school? I’ll pick up some books on the way home and come up with a schedule for us.” She started buzzing with excitement, packing her backpack and rattling off plans for the project.

For the first time since Halloween Soul felt himself relaxing around her again. He smiled. “You’re such a nerd,” he teased.

Maka only stuck her tongue out and threw her bag over her shoulder. “Whatever. I’ll see you at lunch!” She waved goodbye and disappeared into the hallway.

After school, Soul’s stomach was in knots. On the one hand he was about to spend a few hours alone with Maka. On the other hand,  _ he was about to spend a few hours alone with Maka _ . For ten minutes he sat in his car giving himself a small pep talk. 

_ You’re just working on a project, Soul. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Be cool. Be. Cool. _

Once he managed to calm himself down, he texted Maka for her address then drove over after receiving it. She lived in a quaint neighbourhood near the school. The houses were small and close together and gave Soul a homey feeling. It was much different than the area he lived in. Large houses far apart with extravagant lawns always in tip top shape. Each one a pretty picture from the outside with secrets hidden within.

He parked on the street outside, noticing only Maka’s beat up truck in the driveway. He had heard she only lived with her dad and assumed he was still at work. Soul took a deep breath and knocked on the front door, jumping ten feet in the air when Maka opened it almost immediately.

“Hi, sorry for scaring you,” she laughed, stepping back to let him in. “Saw you pull up and thought I’d come let you in.” 

He followed her into the living room where she had a pile of books stacked high on an old coffee table. He plopped himself down on the couch and took a look around. The furniture looked well loved and on nearly every surface was either a book or a baby picture of Maka.

Maka sat next to him, close enough that their thighs touched, and made a disgusted noise. “Ugh, sorry about all these embarrassing pictures. And the smell of cigarettes. You can blame my idiot Papa for both.”

Soul shrugged. “Doesn’t bug me. And these pictures are good blackmail material.” She smacked him in the head.

“I’d kill you before you’d get the chance,” she grumbled.

Soul chuckled. “Fair enough. Where is your dad? Still at work?”

Beside him, Maka nervously fiddled with one of the books. “Mhm, yeah. He’s a lawyer so he’s gone almost always. At least that’s what he tells me, but I know better. He can’t come home at ungodly hours of the night smelling like different women’s perfume and expect me not to know what’s really going on,” she said bitterly.

Soul sat in shocked silence. What was he supposed to say to that? Sorry your dad is scum? He coughed uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck.

Maka nearly dropped the book, putting her hands over her mouth. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I said too much, didn’t I?”

“Nah, not really. Everyone’s got family issues."

She sighed and fell back into the cushions. “I guess. I just didn’t mean to say that. Honestly, it’s probably because he did something like that last night and I’m still pissed.”

Soul lightly nudged her knee with his. “Sorry to hear that. If you wanna rant, you can talk to me. I’m not too good with advice and stuff but uh, maybe just someone lending an ear will help?”

Though hearing her talk about her dad shocked him, it kind of made him happy. Happy in the sense that she was willing to confide in him about something so personal. However, he felt bad he had no words of comfort to offer.

A timid smile pulled at her lips and she nudged him back. “Thanks, I might just take you up on that offer.” He returned the smile. “But for now, homework!”

Before Soul could even think to complain (even though that was the reason he even came over) a cat with black hair that seemed to gleam a dark purple jumped up onto his lap. It immediately started purring and rubbing against his face and hands.

The tinkling laugh that had warmed Soul’s heart on the very first day returned in full force. “That’s Blair, sorry. She really likes boys.”

Blair meowed loudly in Soul’s face and shoved her head into his hands. He could practically hear the cat saying, “Pet me!”

He gave in, rubbing her head and letting his hands glide down her smooth coat. “I don’t like cats,” he mumbled. He picked her up so she was closer to his face and snuggled into her. “They’re annoying.”

“Oh, yeah. I can definitely tell you’re  _ hating _ every second of her love,” Maka laughed.

It was true. He didn’t like cats. But he wasn’t going to deny one when it was begging for attention like this, that would just be cruel. Maka tapped her pencil on the book in her lap and gave Soul a pointed look. He sighed and gently placed Blair on the couch beside him. She looked up at him curiously before curling in a ball right next to him.

“Alright, let’s get started,” he said with a sigh.

The tension that was in the air dissipated as soon as they began to work. The two looked over books together and divvied up tasks. Maka did most of the research since Soul would get distracted within two seconds, so he was put in charge of making the project look nice. More than once Blair jumped on the table and knocked their things over or sat on the exact piece of paper they needed, but they managed to get a fair amount of work done anyways.

A few hours later, they had a base outline done and Soul was feeling more than a little burnt out. “Alright, I think we can probably call it a night,” Maka said, stretching her arms above her head. She made a satisfied noise in her throat that had Soul swallowing thickly.

“I think that’s the most amount of effort I’ve ever put into homework, let alone an outline,” he joked.

Maka looked appalled. “How have you managed to make it this far?” 

Soul shrugged, grinning. “Guess I’m just lucky.”

“Ugh, well at least you’re putting effort into this.” She rolled her eyes and began stacking the books.

“Well, yeah,” Soul said, grabbing his own things. “I’m not gonna bring you down when you work so hard. I’m not  _ that _ much of a jerk.” 

Maka paused her organizing and glanced at him. A small smile formed on her lips. “Thanks. And you’re not a jerk,” she said. “At least not all the time.”

“Ha ha.” He stood up, grabbing his bag. Maka stood with him and walked him to the door. Both of them had to try not to trip over Blair as she followed.“Alright, guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.” She waved as he got in his car and drove off into the night.

Each night after that followed the same routine. Soul would go over after school and the two would work on the project, all while trying to find new ways to get Blair away from their papers. Every night got easier on Soul and soon spending time alone with Maka was no longer a source of anxiety. His crush was still there (and growing) but, he could control his hormonal teenage mind a bit better. 

He learned a lot about Maka in the time they spent together. Like that her mother had been out of the picture for years and thanks to her father’s job, she spent most of her time alone. She said she didn’t mind though, it just gave her more time to read in peace. He also learned she owned too many books to count and she had read nearly all of them (he teased her endlessly about that).

The most surprising thing he had learnt about Maka, however, was that she had never had a proper cup of hot cocoa. Their work sessions were getting long and neither one wanted to continue working on an empty stomach. With the weather turning colder, Maka suggested snacks and hot cocoa and Soul was absolutely  _ appalled  _ when she pulled out the prepackaged powder mix. 

“That’s not what we’re drinking, is it?” Soul asked, scrunching his nose up in disgust.

Maka shook the contents of the packages into their mugs. “What do you mean?” She asked, not turning around.

“That crap is  _ not _ hot cocoa. It’s watered down sadness, honestly.”

“Oh my God, you spoiled brat, it’s fine!” She insisted, pouring steaming water into each mug. She offered one to him.

“How do you know, have you ever had any other kind?” He took the mug from her hands and sniffed at it distastefully. 

She leaned against the counter and blew gently at the rising steam, considering his question. “I suppose not,” she said with a shrug. “But I don’t see the difference between this and other hot cocoa. It’s the same, isn’t it?”

Soul looked pained. “How have you lived up to this day?” He asked. “As your friend, I can’t let you drink this poor excuse of a favourite wintertime delight.”

“You are  _ so _ dramatic. Now that you’ve built it up so much you have to make it for me.” She took a sip then made a face. “I guess it is kind of watery.”

“Told you.”

Two days after this exchange Soul showed up with a grocery bag of goodies. If he was being honest, he was making a big deal out of his hot chocolate when it wasn’t even that fancy. It’s not as though he had the finest quality chocolate that he specially ground himself to make the perfect cup of cocoa, it was just better than the small packets of powder she was using. He was still convinced she’d love his version, though.

He set the bag down in her kitchen and Maka watched on, curious. He pulled out his large tin of “rich and creamy” hot cocoa mix along with a vanilla-caramel coffee cream. Lastly, he brought out a package of mini marshmallows (“I don’t even know what they were thinking, putting those pathetic excuses for marshmallows in those packages,” he said).

“I was expecting something a bit more...  fancy or complicated, honestly,” Maka said, disappointment evident in her voice.

“Oh, shut up. It doesn’t have to be complicated to be good. Trust me, this’ll be the best thing you’ve ever tasted.” He moved and grabbed two mugs from her cabinet, having become well acquainted with her kitchen over the past week and a half.

“Alright, I trust you,” she replied, backing away from the counter. “You do your thing, I’m gonna run to the bathroom.”

Soul shook his head, grinning to himself. After the water in the kettle had finished heating, he got to work. He poured the steaming water evenly into each mug then opened the can of hot chocolate powder. Three heaping spoonfuls and a splash of the coffee cream later, their creamy, delicious drink was ready.

He heard the heavy fall of footsteps on the kitchen tiles behind him as he finished stirring. He turned, mugs in hand. “See, the secret is, you have to add more of the mix than-” he stopped mid sentence, coming face to face with a tall man with hair as red as cherries. “You’re not Maka,” he said stupidly. 

The man had paused the removal of his suit jacket and cerulean eyes stared straight back. “Neither are you,” he said gruffly. “Care to tell me what the  _ Hell- _ ”

“Papa! You’re home early,” Maka called from the doorway. 

“Maka, darling! There you are,” the man said, eyes shining at his daughter. “Who is this?” He sneered, face twisted in disgust at Soul who was still standing with the steaming mugs of hot cocoa.

“This is Soul, he’s a good friend of mine and my classmate. He’s here for a group project we’ve been working on,” Maka said, crossing her arms, a challenging look in her eyes.

Soul’s heart fluttered at the added ‘good’ in the sentence. It nearly stopped, though, as he noticed the death glare her dad sent his way. 

“You,” Spirit snarled. “What are your intentions with my daughter?” He asked, looming over Soul.

“Uh, nothing? We-we’re just working on a project,” Soul stuttered, backing up into the counter.

“Papa! Leave him alone, you’re getting in the way of our work.” Maka stomped forward, pulling her father away. 

The man looked like a kicked puppy, pouting at his daughter, who completely ignored him. She lightly grabbed Soul’s arm and lead him out of the kitchen to the stairway.

“We’re gonna go work in my room,” she called behind her. “ _ And _ I will close the door if I want,” she added before there could be any protest.

Soul’s last glimpse of Maka’s dad was of him watching them leave with a murderous look directed towards the white haired teen. He wondered for a moment if he should be worried.

Up in Maka’s room, the girl herself let out an exhausted sigh. “Sorry about that, he can be a bit overprotective.” She sat on her bed, crossing her legs up under her.

“Don’t worry about it. As long as he doesn’t try to kill me in my sleep, everything’s cool.”

Maka laughed. “No promises. But don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” She flexed her arms and grinned.

Soul held out a mug to her. “My hero,” he said, returning her grin.

She took the mug gratefully and gestured for him to sit anywhere. He settled down in the chair at her desk, placing his own mug down on top, and took a look around her room. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it was probably something similar to what it actually was.

The walls were a pale yellow and a large window let in the light of the setting sun. The room was extremely tidy, besides the piles of books on the floor next to an already filled bookshelf. On the wall above the desk was a bulletin board filled with lists and notes and pictures of their friends. It made Soul smile.

“Oh my God, you were right,” Maka said, startling Soul out of his visual exploration. He looked at her and found her drinking deeply from the mug. She let out a satisfied moan. Soul shivered. “This is the best hot cocoa I’ve ever had,” she sighed dreamily. She held the mug close to her face, inhaling the chocolate and reveling in the warmth.

“I can tell you like it, you’ve got it all over your face,” he teased, gesturing to her upper lip.

She crossed her green eyes and tried to lick the remnants off with her tongue, sending Soul into a fit of laughter.

 

* * * * *

 

Days later, their project was finally finished and ready to be passed in. Soul was eternally grateful that they didn’t have to present. All they had to do was pass in the packet that they had compiled and they were done.

Two weeks spent with Maka had gone by too quick for Soul’s liking, now that he had gotten used to spending time alone with her. The time they spent together only solidified his feelings. He got to see a side of her that he wasn’t able to see at school and it only made him like her  _ more _ .

He wasn’t about to go telling her his feelings anytime soon, though. For now he was satisfied being her friend. If it made her happy, it made him happy. He’d just squash down any desire he felt in his heart. He’d do anything to not  fuck up what they had.

After Stein’s class was over and their project was handed in, Soul couldn’t help but notice how jittery Maka was. She was gnawing on her lower lip and bouncing her leg while packing her bag.

Soul slowed his own packing and gave her an inquisitive glance. “Everything alright?” He asked. 

“What? Oh! Yeah, everything’s great,” she said, fumbling with a book. “I just always get these bad nerves when I hand in a project. But I know we did great,” she reassured him.

“You get bad nerves?  _ You? _ Probably the smartest student in the school who passes everything with flying colours?” That was hard to believe. She always seemed so confident and did so well in class. He supposed everyone had their anxieties, though. It brought an odd sense of comfort to him.

Maka flushed, smiling shyly. “I’m not that smart. But thanks.”

Soul shrugged, swinging his bag over his shoulder. “Smartest person I know, and the nerdiest,” he grinned.

She shoved him playfully. She shouldered her own bag and they left the classroom together (having learned their next classes were in the same direction they had decided to walk together down the hall each day).

“Got any plans for Thanksgiving?” She asked as they walked.

Soul groaned. “Unfortunately,” he replied. Maka looked at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation. 

“My family is huge,” he explained. “And every Thanksgiving we have a big dinner at someone’s house. This year it’s being hosted at mine. So every cousin and aunt and weird smelling uncle will be at my house tomorrow night, poking and prodding and asking their  _ questions  _ and the whole time I have to play nice.”

Maka made a sympathetic noise. “Sounds hectic, no wonder you’re not looking forward to it,” she said. 

Soul let out a humorless laugh.

“Thanksgiving was never a big thing at my house,” she continued. “I don’t even think my dad knows it’s tomorrow.”

Something about that didn’t sit right with him. He may complain about his family and the hoops he had to jump through for them, but he couldn’t imagine a Thanksgiving without them. The thought of Maka all alone in her house with whatever leftovers she had while he was surrounded by mountains of home cooked dishes and warm laughter put a thick lump in his throat. 

He swallowed around it. “I know I just complained about it, but would you like to come to my house for dinner? I mean, you don’t have to of course. Just thought it might be better than nothing,” he finished sheepishly. 

Maka stopped walking and stared at him, green eyes growing wide. Ah, crap. He’d done it now. Who would _ want  _ to come over to his house for holiday festivities after the way he spoke about it? Besides, inviting her to meet his entire family was a bit much. He braced himself for rejection or some polite excuse as to why she couldn’t go.

“That… that would actually be really nice, Soul,” she said, smiling brightly. “As long as I’m not imposing, of course”

Oh. He wasn’t expecting that. His face lit up. “Nah, of course you won’t be. Mom always says the more the merrier when it comes to food.”

Maka laughed. “Good, I’m glad.” They continued walking until they reached Maka’s classroom. She stopped at the entrance, turning to Soul. “Thanks again, for inviting me.”

Soul rubbed the back of his neck. “No problem, having you there will make it less painful for me too,” he joked. “I’ll text you details later, ‘kay?” 

She nodded, blonde hair swishing with the movement. She gave a short wave before entering the room. 

Soul smiled to himself all the way to his next class.

 

* * * * *

 

Soul woke up on Thanksgiving morning to pots and pans being banged around in the kitchen. It was too early to be this loud but at least it was already starting to smell good. The delicious aroma was the only reason he forgave the noise. The whole day his house would be filled with the smells of roasting vegetables, baked goods, thick gravy, and every other type of Autumn food.

He dragged himself out of the comfort of his bed and down the stairs to the kitchen. His mother was standing at the stove, silver hair pulled into an elegant bun. She wore an apron over her navy blue designer dress. Elegant pearls sat pretty around her neck and dangled from her ears.

Soul stifled a yawn and reached into the fridge for the milk carton.

“Good morning, Soul,” his mother said without turning her back on the stove. “You better pour that into a glass.”

The milk carton stopped only centimeters from Soul’s mouth. 

_ Damn. How does she always know? _

He sighed and shuffled over to the cupboard, grabbing a glass and filling it. He gulped it down then placed the glass on the counter beside him. His mother finally turned to him, her brown eyes assessing him.

“Why aren’t you ready?” She asked, taking in his crumpled shirt and sweats. 

“Uh, because it’s not even 10:30? No one’s arriving ‘till later, right?”

His mother sighed, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “Your brother will be here in an hour or so to help set up and the others will be arriving around three. The sooner you’re ready, the sooner you can help Wes and I.”

Soul sighed. “Fine, I’ll go get ready.” He washed his glass out and placed it on the drying wrack. He was halfway out of the kitchen before he remembered an important detail his mother should  _ probably _ know. “Oh yeah, mom?” He called out.

“Hm?” She asked, attention already back on her food.

“I sort of invited a friend of mine over for dinner tonight. Is that okay?”

He watched her slow her movements. “They don’t have their own plans for tonight?” She asked.

“Well, no. She doesn’t usually do much because of her dad. I told her she was welcome here.”

“Oh!” She exclaimed, dropping her mixing spoon in her pot and turning around. “It’s a girl? Oh my! Of course she’s welcome here!” 

Soul could see all the thoughts forming in his mother’s head and he groaned internally. “Nooo, Mom, please don’t jump to conclusions. She’s just a friend.”

“Is this the girl Wes told me about? Oh I can’t wait to meet her.” Soul opened his mouth. “ _ Even _ if she’s just a friend,” she added before he could interrupt. “You haven’t brought a friend over in… goodness I don’t even know how long it’s been.” 

A sigh of relief escaped Soul’s lips. “So you’re okay with her coming?”

“Yes, of course. Thank you for telling me. Now go. Get. _Ready_.” She shooed him out of the kitchen and got back to her work.

After he was showered and dressed in a simple gray dress shirt and slacks, Soul sent a text to Maka. He let her know what time to come over and apologized in advance for his potentially embarrassing family. She didn't seem too concerned about them. She was, however, concerned about what to wear. He tried to tell her not to worry too much about it but that wasn't an option.

**Maka [11:23 A.M.]:**

_ well is it super fancy or regular? i know your family is pretty wealthy and idk you might have really fancy  thanksgivings! _

**Soul [11:24 A.M.]:**

_ omg we're not that fancy i don't think? just wear something nice and you'll be fine _

**Maka [11:26 A.M.]:**

_ yeah but HOW nice? send me a pic of what you're wearing and then i'll know. _

Soul sighed. Was she really asking for a selfie? He shook his head but went to his bathroom with his phone anyways. He held the device up to the mirror and took an awkward photo, making sure his face was covered but his clothes were showing. He sent the photo along with the caption "happy?"

A moment later he received a reply.

**Maka [11:31 A.M.]:**

_ aww don't you look handsome! your shirt is tucked in and everything :0 _

Soul flushed at the comment.

**Soul [11:32 A.M.]:**

_ u can thank my mom for that. she'd kill me if i dared to leave it sloppy and untucked tonight. did that help at all tho?? _

**Maka [11:33 A.M.]:**

_ it did! i know just the thing to wear now. i'm serious though, you look good! ^o^ _

Soul's face only turned redder. He was glad she couldn't see. His heart pounded as he texted her back.

**Soul [11:34 A.M.]:**

_ whatever u dork _

He left the bathroom and all but threw his phone on his bed. Downstairs he could hear the front door open and Wes call out his greetings.

He supposed it was time to go and help finish setting up. He walked into the kitchen just in time to hear his brother speaking excitedly to their mother.

"Oh did he now? He invited Bio Girl? I can't wait to meet her!" The older Evans brother said.

"Oh my God, Wes. It's not that big of a deal," Soul said, grabbing the stack of plates his mother was holding out to him.

Wes followed him into the dining room, silverware in hand. "Isn't it though? You invited a girl to Thanksgiving dinner.  _ With the family _ . That sounds like a big deal to me."

Soul only shook his head and began placing the fancy china on the table. “Whatever, Wes. I don’t have to defend myself to you. Or Mom. Or anyone else for that matter.”

“Whoa, little bro. Calm down. If you say it’s not a big deal, it’s not,” he said, placing the silverware down next to the plates.

“Thank you,” Soul said with a stiff nod.

“I still can’t wait to meet her,” the blonde said with a cheshire grin.

Wes practically skipped back to the kitchen, grinning the whole way.

Soul’s mouth hung open and he chased after him. “Wes I swear to  _ God _ if you do anything tonight I’ll… I’ll…. I’ll key your new car!”

“You wouldn’t!” Wes threw a hand over his chest, looking positively appalled. “Besides what would I even do?” He asked, batting his eyes innocently.

“I don’t know, I just know I can’t trust you,” Soul replied with a glare.

“Puh- _ lease _ , Soul. What have I ever done to deserve such treatment?”

“You--!”

“ _ Boys _ ! You are not children anymore so stop acting like it,” their mother scolded. She stood with a rolling pin poised like a weapon, her fierce gaze had them both frozen.

“Sorry, Mom,” the brothers said in unison, gulping back their fear.

She nodded once then went back to the pie crust she was rolling out. Soul sent one more warning glare towards his brother before grabbing a tray of glasses and bringing them to the dining room. 

The dining room table was set beautifully, complete with fancy cloth napkins and a flourishing centerpiece Wes had brought with him. After that the two made sure each room was clean and inviting. Their house ended up looking like a scene from a postcard rather than a home people lived in. Just the way his mother liked it.

With time to kill before the guests arrived, Soul retreated to his room. He lay in bed with his headphones on, conserving the energy he would need to handle his extended family. He stayed even after he heard them arriving, not caring if it was rude. They’d see him soon enough.

It wasn’t until his phone buzzed with a message from Maka saying she was on her way that he abandoned the comforts of his room.

He shuffled into the living room quietly, hoping no one noticed his arrival. His aunts and uncles and older cousins stood chatting with his mother. His father had come out of his office finally and was mingling with the relatives he hadn’t seen in a while as well.

Soul nearly tripped as one of his smaller cousins ran past him, laughing wildly. He smiled to himself, feeling nostalgic. 

Just before anyone could notice him, the doorbell rang. Everyone that was invited was here so he figured that must be…

“Oh, you must be Maka! Come in, come in,” Wes’ charming voice rang out from the entrance. 

Of  _ course _ he got the door. Soul rolled his eyes and made to his way to the foyer.

Wes was taking Maka’s coat, chatting happily. “I’m Wes, Soul’s older brother. I’ve heard  _ so _ much about you.It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” He placed the coat on the rack by the door and offered his hand.

“Oh, have you?” Maka asked, glancing over and raising an eyebrow at Soul. Wes glanced over as well and grinned. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well,” she smiled, placing her hand delicately in his.

Wes took it softly, giving the girl a genuine smile.

“Well, I’ll let Soul take over from here. See you in a bit, Maka.” Wes waved and sauntered back to where the noise was.

“Well, he seems nice. I don’t even think I knew you had a brother,” Maka said, turning to Soul.

Soul paused and took in her appearance. Blonde hair was left loose around her shoulders, only a small portion pulled back. Her short dress was black and the long sleeves were made of a flowery lace. She looked lovely.

“Oh? Coulda sworn I mentioned him,” Soul shrugged. “You, uh, you look nice,” he commented, changing the subject.

Maka smiled wide, green eyes sparkling. “Thanks.”

“Soul? Oh! There you are,” Soul’s mother walked towards them. “Oh, you must be Soul’s friend, Maka was it? It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Celeste, Soul’s mother.” She placed her hand on Maka’s shoulder and squeezed lightly, brown eyes crinkling in a warm smile.

“It’s nice to meet you too. You have a lovely home. Thank you so much for letting me come tonight,” Maka smiled shyly. Soul could tell she was nervous in his mother’s presence and he felt for her. 

“Oh of course, sweetie. It’s nice to have you.” She turned her warm gaze over to Soul. “I just wanted to tell you that dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. Why don’t you give Maka a tour until then?”

As quickly as she came, she was gone again. She smiled once more at Maka then off she was to entertain and play hostess. Soul stood awkwardly with Maka for a moment. He coughed.

“I, uh, guess I can show you the upstairs for now. The only rooms down here are filled with people and I don’t wanna deal with them just yet.” As if on cue, a burst of laughter was heard from the living room down the hall. Soul shuddered.

Maka chuckled. “Sounds good to me. Lead the way,” she smiled.

The two walked up the large staircase together and the sounds below became muffled. Soul pointed out the vague locations of the master bedroom and the guest room. Past the bathroom was Soul’s room and Wes’ old room.

“That,” Soul said, pointing to a closed door. “Is my room. And it’s a mess. You really don’t need to see it.”

“You’re no fun,” Maka pouted, nudging his side. 

“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes. 

His room was his safe place. His secret haven. Having Maka there would honestly be a dream come true but it really  _ was _ an awful mess at the moment. He needed a bit more warning before inviting her in there. 

“We can go in here, though,” he said, gesturing to the adjacent room. The door was cracked open and it was dark inside. He went in and flicked the light on. A plain bed sat on the far wall. Against other walls were boxes and a few instrument cases. In the middle of the room was a beautiful baby grand piano. It gleamed under the light.

Maka gasped. “Oh my gosh, that’s beautiful,” she said in awe. “This was Wes’ room?” She asked, turning to Soul.

“Yeah, it was. My baby was in my room but it got cramped so when Wes moved out we used his room as storage and kind of my personal music room.”

“Your baby?” She asked skeptically.

“Yeah,” he replied, heading to the piano and sitting at the bench. “My baby,” he said with a grin.

“You play piano?” She walked up behind him, looking impressed. “How did I never know that?”

Soul shrugged, running his fingers over the keys. “Another thing I never mentioned, I guess.”

Maka frowned. “You know a lot about me but I feel like I don’t know much about you.” She rocked nervously on her feet but kept her eyes on him. “Tell me more about you?”

Soul’s mouth went dry. He tried to swallow. What was there to tell her? He thought for a moment then got an idea.

“I’m not the best with words-”

“I noticed,” she interrupted with a smirk.

“-but maybe this can give you more of an idea of who I am.” He turned away from her and settled his fingers on the ivory. He took a few calming breaths. He hadn’t played much at all since he started at DCH. After his failure at his last performance he could hardly look at his piano let alone play it. But this was different. He wasn’t playing some piece chosen for him for thousands of people. He was playing something that was his. That was, in a way,  _ him _ . And he was playing for Maka. Somehow she stripped away his fear and he knew she’d accept whatever he showed her.

With one more deep breath and Maka’s warmth at his back, he began to play. His fingers danced elegantly across the keys. The sound that was produced was dark and intense and he lost himself to the notes. The world around him faded away until there was nothing but him and his music. His heart was pounding, the music reverberated within his soul. He hadn’t felt this alive in ages.

The last notes echoed throughout the room and Soul’s breathing came heavy. He felt sweat on his brow. He couldn’t remember the last time he had played like that. Played from his  _ heart. _ He turned nervously to the girl behind him.

Her eyes were wide with wonder. She looked at him in amazement, then burst into applause. Her smile shone brightly as she clapped. 

“Soul, that was amazing!” She exclaimed.

Soul shrugged. “Thanks, I guess.”

“No, really,” she urged. “I may not know much about music but I know that that was amazing. I think I stopped breathing at one point.”

He gave a chuckle. “Yeah, me too.”

Her smile softened. “After all the time we’ve spent together, I finally feel like I’ve heard the real you. Thank you, Soul. For playing for me. For showing me who you are.”

His heart thudded violently in his chest. He stood up from the bench and reached his hand out, searching for hers. Their fingers brushed.

“Wow,” Wes said, coming into the room. The two jumped apart, spinning to face the intruder. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard my little brother play a personal piece for anyone but me. You must be special.” He grinned at Maka. She flushed.

Soul glared. “What are you doing here, Wes?”

The older brother turned his grin to Soul. “Just here to tell you dinner is about to be served. Better get down there before Mom starts suspecting something.” 

Maka’s mouth hung open and she flushed even more. “I- we--!”

Soul’s cheeks flushed to match Maka’s. “Oh my  _ God _ , Wes!”

Wes only laughed and left the room. The two shared a look and burst into a fit of awkward laughter. 

“Guess we should get going,” Maka said, rocking on her heels again. 

“Guess so,” Soul agreed. 

They followed Wes down the stairs and into the dining room. His family was already seated and talking loudly. They all shouted out greetings when the three entered and took their seats. 

One of Soul’s elderly aunts leaned over and pinched Soul’s cheek. “Oh, Soulie, you look so grown up now!”

Soul pulled his face away and rubbed his sore cheek. “Nice to see you too, Aunt Aubrey.”

“Soul!” His uncle slurred from across the table. It seemed he had started drinking early again this year. “You brought a girl? You cheeky little brat,” he laughed loudly. “She’s v’ry pretty.”

“Uncle Julian, please,” Soul pleaded. 

His drunk uncle only gestured his wine glass towards Maka, some of the liquid spilling out onto the table. “You’re v’ry pretty young-” hiccup, “-young lady.”

Soul groaned and let his head hit the table. He could hear Maka laugh politely and thank his uncle. He felt a tug at his sleeve and sat up, looking down at the wide eyes of his young twin cousins.

“Hey Soul, is that your girlfriend?” One of them asked.

“Wha? No!” He protested.

“Are you two gonna get married?” The other questioned.

“Nikki, Angelo, if you don’t go back to the kids’ table right now I will tell Aunt Celeste not to give you any dessert,” Soul warned.

The twins squealed and ran off to the table set aside for the children. It didn’t stop them from shooting curious looks over at him and Maka from their seats and giggling to themselves.

Soul rolled his tense shoulders and looked over to Maka. “Sorry about them. And everyone else.”

Maka laughed and shook her head. “Don’t be. Your family’s charming.” Her smile made warmth spread through his chest.

“Okay everyone, everything’s ready,” the mother of the household called from the kitchen. 

Celeste Evans walked into the dining room with a giant, steaming turkey sitting pretty on a platter. A collection of  _ oooh _ ’s resounded throughout the room as she placed the platter on the table in front of her husband. 

“Would you please do the honor of carving our lovely bird, dear?” She asked, handing her husband a carving knife.

Soul’s father smiled warmly at her. It was a smile Soul rarely got to see and that was usually directed at his mother. He shifted in his chair. 

Alistair Evans turned to the turkey and began carving. Soul’s mother left and returned with the rest of the food. She placed dish after dish of roasted vegetables, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and gravy. Plates were passed around and piled high with food.

Before anyone brought any of the delicious meal to their mouth, Celeste stood at the head of the table and cleared her throat. The room became silent. “Tonight, we give thanks for many things. For our health, our food, our fortune and,” she let her brown eyes roam the room, “for our friends and family. Now dig in!”

The room erupted in chatter and the clinking of plates as the Evans family (and Maka) ate. Soul was grateful for the food distracting his nosy relatives from asking him more questions or teasing him and his guest. 

As they ate Maka became more comfortable, easily chatting with one of Soul’s older cousins about some book he had never heard of. He tuned in and out of Uncle Julian’s slurred ramblings and laughed as his mother scolded her brother for spilling so much wine on her fancy tablecloth. 

Plates were wiped clean and desserts were served. Multiple types of pies with dollops of whipped cream were eagerly consumed and by the end of the night Soul felt as though he might burst. Maka looked as though she felt the same.

“I don’t think I’ve eaten that much in… well ever,” she mumbled, giving her stomach a satisfactory pat. “That was delicious.”

“M’hmm,” Soul lazily agreed. He stretched and felt his stomach push against the confines of his belt. He let out a small burp. Maka laughed and poked his side, making him squirm.

Most of the adults had moved to the living room for drinks and chit chat. Soul and Maka remained with a few of the younger kids who were too tired to run around. The night was winding down and Soul could feel himself getting increasingly more tired. As if she read his mind, Maka let out a big yawn.

“Oh my gosh,” she said. “I didn’t realize how late it was.” She was looking at her phone, eyebrows raised. “No wonder I’m so tired.”

“That and you just ate a huge meal,” Soul grunted.

“True. I’m so ready for this food coma to take me.”

“Same.” 

Maka yawned once more and stood up. “Alright, I think I should probably get going.”

“Probably,” Soul agreed. He stood up reluctantly. Honestly he just wanted to stay seated, lazily chatting with her all night. But he supposed that couldn’t happen. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

The two left the dining room and slowly made their way to the entrance. Maka seemed unsteady on her feet and Soul had to put his hand on her shoulder and help her so she wouldn’t fall. 

“You gonna be okay?” He asked, a chuckle in his voice.

“I’m fiiiine,” she answered, waving him off. “Just sleepy.”

When they got to the front door she put her coat on then shook her head and gave her cheeks a light slap. Soul laughed. He opened the door for her but she stayed for a moment, looking anywhere but his face. She seemed to make her mind up and her green eyes met his red ones. 

“Thank you for having me tonight, Soul. It honestly means a lot,” she said softly. 

Before Soul knew what was happening she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. He held her back, breathing in her scent. She detached herself too soon. Her absence left him feeling cold.

“Thank your mom for me too, will you?” She asked.

He nodded, speechless.

“Okay, goodnight. Happy Thanksgiving!” She turned on her heel and ran down the driveway to her truck. 

Soul’s voice finally caught up with him and he called out to her, “Text me when you get home safe!’

Maka turned to him and waved. Even from where he was standing he could see her bright smile. He stood in the doorway until her headlights were no longer visible, then headed back inside.

Wes greeted Soul with a smug smile. “Oh my Lord, Soul. You have it  _ bad _ .”

Soul turned red, realizing his brother probably saw all of that. He tried to shrug it off and push past his brother up the stairs. Wes followed.

“Don’t be like that, Soul. I’m just stating the obvious.”

Soul froze. He spun around on the steps, a terrified look in his eye. “Am… am I really that obvious?”

His brother burst out laughing. “Oh you poor, sweet summer child,” he said between laughs.

“Ugh, never mind,” Soul huffed, turning back around. Wes grabbed his shoulder.

“No, no! Wait. I’m sorry,” he wiped a stray tear from his eye. “Seriously, sorry. True you’re as transparent as glass but the good news is I don’t think she has a clue. You picked yourself an oblivious one. Not sure if I feel sorry for you or not honestly.”

A huge sigh of relief flew past Soul’s lips. “Thank God. I don’t want to ruin anything so it’s best she doesn’t know.”

Wes’ smile turned into a frown. “Soul, I don’t think you telling her how you feel would ruin anything. I mean, with the way she acts around you I-”

Soul put his hand up, stopping his brother in his tracks. “Don’t say anything. I don’t want to get my hopes up. I’m happy with the way things are. I’m happy with her in the dark.”

Wes sighed. “If you say so. I will say one thing, though. I really like her, and Mom seems to as well. You have a good friend in her. She brings out the best in you.” He patted Soul on the shoulder once then returned to the living room.

Soul went to bed that night with a strange feeling in his gut, knowing his family had gotten along with and accepted Maka. The strange feeling grew and made him feel warm all over when he remembered that she had listened to and accepted him as well. He couldn’t deny his crush was growing and though that scared him, he didn’t try to fight it.

One thing he knew for certain, Wes was right. He had a good friend in Maka Albarn. She brought a certain light to his life, made him happy. Whether she knew it or not.


	4. A Little Bit Of Momentum

December seemed to sneak up on everyone. Christmas music played on the radio and in every store. Twinkling lights filled the town and made Soul feel warm inside despite the cold weather.

At school the students were getting restless. Winter break was around the corner and the last thing on their minds was schoolwork and classes. Everyone was looking forward to the two weeks of freedom.

The last day of classes, no work got done. Hardly any of the students even came so each class was slow and easy. Even Professor Stein put on ‘The Grinch’ and sat at the back of the class with a book in his lap.

The few students that did show up were chatting amongst themselves, only a handful watching the movie. Soul had his head cushioned in his arms on the table, eyes sleepily drooping shut, the image of the Grinch making his costume going blurry. Maka sat beside him with her own book in her lap, oblivious to the rest of the world.

He let his dreary eyes slide over to her. His heart thudded heavily in his chest as he recalled the conversation he had with his brother the night before.

Wes had called him just around supper time. Soul answered grumpily, not wanting to be interrupted from the pizza he had ordered.

“Hello?” He answered gruffly.

“Soul! Oh good, you answered,” his brother sounded pleasantly surprised on the other end.

“What’s up?” He asked, grabbing a slice anyways. He took a large bite, trying not to make a noise of pleasure at the taste.

“Are you still coming to the Christmas concert on Wednesday?”

Soul continued to chew. He hummed in response. Every year for the past four years Wes had performed with other musicians at the large theatre in the city and Soul attended every one. This year was no different.

“Alright, well I’m calling because I was able to snag an extra ticket. I was thinking maybe Maka would like to come?”

Soul choked. He coughed and hacked until the cheese finally went down. “Why?” He choked out.

“Because she’s nice and I’d like for her to come,” Wes explained. Soul was unconvinced. “And it’d be a perfect night out for you two,” he added.

Soul rolled his eyes, even though his brother couldn’t see. “Wes, really?”

“What? Not saying it has to be a  _ date _ or anything. Besides, this way you don’t have to go alone.”

Soul only grumbled. He had a point.

“ _ And _ it’s an excuse not to sit with Mom and Dad and mingle with their stuffy friends~” he sing-songed.

That got him. He let out a defeated sigh. “Alright, I’ll ask her tomorrow if she’s free.”

“There you go. Looking forward to seeing you both.”

“Yeah, yeah. See you then.” They said their goodbyes and Soul hung up, grabbing another slice of pizza. Now all he had to do was figure out how he was going to ask her.

Which brought him back to his situation now, staring at Maka in the dimly lit room with the  _ Whos _ singing in the background. 

He lifted his head up from his arms and cleared his throat. “Hey Maka?” He whispered.

“Hmm?” She hummed, not looking up from her book.

“Uh, so, Wes has this Christmas concert thing on Wednesday that I’m going to...” he began.

She looked up. “Yes?”

“Yeah, and Wes got an extra ticket and was wondering if you wanted to go. He thought you might like to see him perform.”

Even in the darkened room he could see her eyes shining in excitement. “That would be awesome!” She answered. “What does he play?”

Soul grinned. “Violin. He’s pretty good. There will be other performers as well. So, you wanna go?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely! Tell your brother thanks for me. I’m looking forward to it.”

She went back to her book and Soul went back to resting on his arms. He had a feeling he’d be having to thank Wes as well.

 

* * * * *

 

The night of the concert Soul pulled into Maka’s driveway, fingers drumming nervously against the steering wheel. It was easier for him to pick her up and for them to go together but he couldn’t get over how much it felt like an actual date. Was it a date? What was the exact definition of a date? He contemplated bringing up  _ dictionary.com _ on his phone for a moment but was distracted by the sound of a door slamming.

Soul jumped in his seat, eyes flying to Maka storming down the driveway. The front door opened behind her and Spirit Albarn was following looking absolutely distraught. Maka looked terrifying and  _ beautiful _ . Her made up face distorted in anger. She opened the passenger door to Soul’s car a little forcefully and plopped herself down into the seat.

Spirit followed to the end of the driveway then stood there looking hopeless. “Makaaa,” he cried.

“Good _ bye  _ Papa,” she spat out, slamming the door. “Let’s go,” she huffed out to Soul.

Too confused (and scared) to do anything else, he pulled away from the house and drove off. He didn’t speak until they reached the first stop light, allowing her to cool down.

“So, um, hi?” He tried, breaking the silence.

Maka took a deep, calming breath and let it out. She turned to Soul, looking sheepish. “Sorry,” she smiled weakly.

“It’s fine,” he replied, eyes moving back to the road as the light turned green. “Can I ask what happened?”

“Mmm,” she hummed. “Just my Papa being my Papa. He found out I was going out with you and he nearly had a heart attack. Started yelling about how I wasn’t allowed to go out with boys like you and my dress was too short and ‘oh  _ God,  _ Maka what if you get pregnant?!’”

She reenacted her father’s words dramatically in her seat, throwing her hand up to her head. Soul laughed quietly beside her.

“It was ridiculous. So I told him he couldn’t control me or dictate how I live my life. Then you showed up and that’s basically it,” she finished with a shrug.

“Wow,” Soul shook his head. “What a jerk.”

She nodded. “Yep. I mean we’re just going to a concert, not eloping. Though I’m kind of tempted to do that just to see his reaction,” she giggled.

They broke too fast and both lurched forward. Soul’s heart thudded in his chest.

Maka steadied herself and broke into more giggles. “I’m just kidding, Soul.”

He frowned. “I know.” The two fell silent after that and Soul filled the silence with the radio until they reached their destination. 

Inside the concert hall Maka removed her coat and Soul swallowed audibly. Her dark red dress was open in the back, her skin completely exposed. She didn’t seem to notice his sudden stiffness, though as she passed her jacket to coat check. Soul kept his suit jacket on and nervously offered his arm to her.

“Shall we go find our seats?” He asked. She smiled in response, linking her arm with his.

They stood in the aisle of seats, looking for two empty ones. The seats were filling up quickly and soon there wouldn’t be any left near each other. Before they could give up on their search, a voice called out to them.

“Soul? And is that Maka Albarn as well?” 

Soul turned and found an old classmate of his standing next to a row of mostly vacant seats. Soul made his way over, Maka in tow.

“Kid, hey,” he greeted casually.

“Kid, oh my gosh! Hi,” Maka greeted as well. 

The black haired boy smiled warmly. He opened his arms and Soul watched in surprise as he enveloped the smaller girl in a hug.

“Hello, Maka,” he said, letting her go. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Maka stepped back, smiling wide. “It really has, how have you been?”

Kid, or William Mort Jr., shrugged lightly. “I’ve been well. Each day has been interesting since Father took in those sisters.”

Maka giggled. “I bet. Oh! Let me introduce you to-”

“Soul Evans, yes, we’re acquainted,” Kid said, turning his attention to Soul. His smile didn’t change and Soul could only grin in return.

“Good to see you again,” Soul said nodding at his old friend. 

“You too. How has the new school been treating you?”

Soul glanced at Maka then back to Kid. “Good. I like it.”

Maka looked between the two of them. “How do you know each other?” She asked.

“I should be asking you that,” Soul replied, nudging her. “He goes to DWMA. We were in the same class.”

“Oh! That makes sense. Kid’s dad and mine have known each other for a long time,” she explained. “So we used to play together as kids.”

“Those days seem so far away,” Kid sighed wistfully. 

Maka giggled. “We had lots of fun back then.”

Soul would have felt jealous at the apparent closeness between the two if he didn’t know any better. Fortunately for him, he and Kid had spent enough time together at the academy that he knew Kid had no interest in girls. Or boys. Or anyone for that matter. So rather than jealous, he was just surprised they shared a mutual friend. 

“Were you two looking for seats?” Kid asked, interrupting Soul’s thoughts. “There are a few vacant spaces in this row if you’d like. If you don’t mind my company, that is.”

“Of course not! Thank you, Kid,” Maka exclaimed, moving into the row and finding a seat. Soul followed and sat next to hear, settling into the plush velvet.

While waiting for the concert to officially start, the three friends chatted amongst themselves, catching up on each other’s lives and sharing stories from either Maka’s childhood or Soul’s academy days.

The lights dimmed suddenly and a hush fell over the crowd. Curtains opened on the stage, a spotlight falling on a choir. Soul relaxed in his chair and felt Maka do the same. The voices of the choir began and filled the entire hall with a soft sound.

The choir sang a few songs, each one achingly beautiful and making Maka clasp her hands to her chest. After they left the stage and the audience applauded, the spotlight moved to an orchestra that was set up.

The night continued like that. with different types of musicians coming and playing their songs. Each one unique and lovely, filling everyone with the type of happiness you can only get from listening to live music. 

A little over an hour into the concert, the lights came back on and an announcer on the stage dismissed everyone for a fifteen minute intermission. Soul stood and stretched out his cramped up limbs. He turned to Maka whose eyes were shining brightly.

“This is amazing,” she said in awe, looking up at Soul. “Everyone is so talented. And the music is so beautiful!”

Soul smiled softly. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Of course I am! Thank you for inviting me,” she said, smiling at him.

He only shrugged, looking away. “Thank my brother, he was the one who thought of it.”

With a roll of her eyes Maka stood and did a little stretch of her own. “I’m gonna go use the ladies’ room, I’ll be right back.” She gave Soul a small pat on the shoulder as she scooched past him and left the auditorium. 

He watched her go then sat back in his seat, stifling a yawn. He turned to Kid, whose gold eyes were already trained on him. “Enjoying the concert?” He asked.

A secretive smile grew on the other boy’s face. “I am. Though I think watching you and Maka is a bit more entertaining.”

Soul froze. “Wh-what? What do you mean?”

“I didn’t know you two were dating. You could have told me and I would have let you sit somewhere else alone,” he answered simply.

Soul squawked. “We are  _ not _ dating,” the flustered teen stated. 

“Oh?” Kid asked, disbelieving. “Well you could have fooled me.”

Soul groaned, slinking into his seat. When nearly ten minutes passed and Maka still hadn’t returned, he decided to go look for her. He needed to stretch his legs, anyways.

“I’ll be right back,” he called over his shoulder, heading up the aisle to the exit. Kid waved in response.

Outside of the auditorium there were groups of people chatting idly. He looked around and found a sign directing him towards the bathrooms. He stopped halfway down the hall when he heard a collection of female voices. The hall broke off to a small area where the bathrooms were. He poked his head around the corner, finding Maka being blocked by three girls Soul recognized from his old school.

They were leering at Maka, nasty looks on their faces. Maka had a hand on her hip and she looked entirely unimpressed. “I can’t get through,” she stated.

“Don’t play dumb,” one of the girls sneered. “We know you came here with Soul Evans.”

Soul groaned internally. “And?” Maka asked.

One of the other girls scoffed. “And you’re  _ obviously _ not good enough to be hanging out with him. No girl from  _ Death City High _ ,” she spat the name out like it was poison, “would ever be good enough for our Soul.”

Soul wanted to throw up. Since when was he  _ anyone’s _ Soul? As far as he was concerned he belonged only to himself. He chanced a look at Maka’s face. Her features were schooled into an eerie calm but he knew the fires of Hell were brewing just under the surface. He could relate for he could feel his own blood boiling. He figured he’d been watching for long enough and it was time to intervene.

“Maybe I’m not.” Or not. He stayed hidden as Maka spoke up. “But that’s not for you to decide.” Her burning gaze moved from the stunned girls to where Soul was hiding. He gulped. Her eyes went back to the bullies. “I don’t give a single shit about what you think of me. If you’re honestly  _ that  _ thirsty for Soul, he’s right out there. Go see if he’ll give you a drink. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

The fiery blonde pushed past the girls and out into the hallway. The three girls turned, mouths hung open in surprise. Their eyes bugged out of their heads as they caught sight of Soul. He merely shook his head at them, making sure they saw his look of disgust before going after Maka.

She could walk surprisingly fast despite her tall heels and he had to jog to catch up to her. “Maka,” he called out. She kept walking. “Hey, wait up!” He grabbed her hand and she stopped, not turning to face him. Her silence gnawed at him. “Are you alright?”

She finally looked at him. All traces of anger were gone, a forced smile replacing the earlier grimace. “I’m fine! Let’s get back to our seats.” She turned again and Soul followed her back into the auditorium.

Kid was still in his seat, reading over a program. He greeted them as they sat down. The silence that fell between them was thick and heavy. He could tell Maka was still upset over what happened. She was tense beside him and he could feel the aggravation radiating off of her. And who could blame her? He was bristling in annoyance as well. Not wanting the encounter with the rude girls to mar their entire evening Soul decided he should say something.

“Thanks for coming tonight,” he said quietly, fingers playing with the hem of his jacket.

Maka glanced up at him. “You’re welcome,” she murmured, tension still set in her shoulders.

“I mean it.” His eyes met hers. “I know I said I invited you here because my brother asked but that’s not entirely true. I mean, yes he did ask me to invite you but I had my own selfish reasons for inviting you too.”

Her eyes never left his. They burned into him, asking him to continue.

Soul took a breath. “These events make me anxious,” he explained. “Being around people from my old life who only see me as an Evans rather than, well, me. But I feel more comfortable around you. I can relax a little bit, even around these people.”

The look of aggravation had disappeared from her face, a look of wonder replacing it. Soul took it as a sign to continue.

“A-and I really enjoy seeing my brother perform. We get on each other’s nerves a lot but I like being able to come out and support him. So thanks. For everything.” He finished his little speech and had to look away from the intensity of her gaze. He resisted the urge to get up and run.

His hand was suddenly grabbed by hers. She linked her fingers with his, resting their joined hands on the arm rest between them. He looked over in surprise and nearly melted at the look on her face. Her smile was soft and her cheeks were tinged pink.

“Thank you, Soul.” She squeezed his hand. He smiled and squeezed back. The lights dimmed once again and the curtains opened. Kid smiled knowingly behind his program.

Their fingers stayed interlocked throughout the rest of the concert. Maka squeezed excitedly when Wes finally made his appearance. He played beautifully and though Soul had heard him play many times, he was still impressed. As he got older the jealousy he felt over his brother’s talent had waned and he was left with nothing but pride for his older brother. He could only be filled with joy seeing his brother shining so brilliantly on the stage, genuine happiness on his face as he took a bow.

At the end of the concert they met up with Soul’s parents and Wes himself. He greeted both Soul and Maka with a warm hug that had Maka laughing and Soul groaning.

“I’m so glad you made it!” He said after releasing Maka from his grip.

“Me too,” she smiled. “You were wonderful! It was a lovely concert.”

“Good job, bro,” Soul commented. Wes positively glowed.

He was called away by someone else and the two friends decided to take their leave. The drive home was silent like the drive there, but this silence was comfortable. Maka had a content smile on her face and it warmed Soul’s chest. He was glad the night wasn’t ruined. 

As they pulled up to her house Soul caught sight of the curtains in the living room moving. No doubt Spirit watching out for them. Maka sighed beside him and shook her head. She turned to him.

“Thanks again, Soul. I had a really nice night. Even with those bratty girls.” She grabbed his hand, gripping it tight as she leaned over and pressed her lips softly against his cheek.

Her face was red as she quickly exited the car. She waved to him and ran up to the door, then she was gone. Soul sat in stunned silence before his brain caught up and he began to drive away. His face was hot the entire ride home.

 

* * * * *

 

The next day was Christmas Eve and the Evans house was too busy for Soul to think about the events that transpired the night before. Him and Maka had hardly even talked besides a ‘home safe’ and ‘goodnight’ text.

Just like Thanksgiving, his mother was in scary cleaning mode. This time, however, his whole extended family wasn’t coming over. Just his grandmother. His mother always tried hard to impress her mother-in-law though and she was on a rampage. She even had his father out of the office and helping with cleaning and finishing up last minute decorations.

Soul sat exhausted on one of the couches, dressed in a hideous sweater his grandmother had sent him the year before (he would never admit his distaste for it out loud, his Nan meant too much to him). He jumped up when he heard the front door open. He moved to the foyer with his parents and greeted Wes (who had picked his grandmother up from the airport) and his beloved Nan.

She lived in Italy and Soul only saw her a handful of times a year. She was one of the only family members besides Wes that really understood him so he always looked forward to her visits. Wes helped her with her coat and she turned her small frame towards Soul. Her warm eyes were stern, lips set in a thin line.

“Where is my hug, Soul?” She asked in her raspy voice. 

A smile broke her stern expression and Soul rushed over to her, enveloping her in his arms. She smelled like the Winter air and black coffee mixed with her floral perfume. “It’s good to see you, Nan,” he mumbled into her shoulder.

“You too my dear,” she responded, patting his back. He stepped back and smiled warmly at her. To him, she was the definition of comfort.

She moved to hug her son and daughter-in-law, leaving soft kisses on their faces. Soul and his brother took her bags to the guest room upstairs as his parents helped her settle in downstairs. By the time they returned the table was filled with food and Soul’s stomach growled loudly. He took his seat eagerly. 

“Welcome back, mother,” Alistair Evans said, a rare smile melting his tense features.

His Nan reached and grabbed her son’s hand. “Good to be back, love.” She turned her eyes to the rest of her family. “Shall we eat? My flight was quite long and I’m positively starved.”

The food was served and Soul gratefully dug in. He offered no input to the conversation, simply listening as Nan filled them in on how life was back in Italy. She may have been getting on in age but she was still a feisty woman, Soul thought as she told them about the great flower fiasco. He laughed along with his family, not having a hard time imagining his grandmother nearly getting into a physical fight with her neighbor over whose garden was best. Maka would like her, he decided. He hoped she would like Maka as well.

As he thought of how they'd get along, the attention of the table suddenly turned to him. His mother took a sip of wine before eyeing him. “So,” she began, eyes not leaving her son. “Did Soul tell you he's attending public school now?”

He stopped chewing.

“No,” Nan answered, silver brows quirking up. “He failed to mention that in our monthly calls.”

The mashed potatoes slid painfully down his throat, the lump there making their descent difficult.

“Oh?” His mother asked, clearly not surprised. “Well, he decided on his own to attend the local public school. Dropped out of the academy completely.”

“I see.” Her ancient voice held no emotion. Soul moved his guilty eyes to his grandmother.

_ May her wrath be gentle. _

“Is he happy?” She asked to his surprise.

He could see Wes smile from the corner of his eye and his mother falter. “Well- I-”

“Soul, dear,” she interrupted.

He tensed. “Yes, Nan?”

“Are you happy at your new school?”

“Yes,” he answered. Her gaze never wavered. She waited for him to elaborate. “My classes aren't as hard so I'm not nearly as stressed. I've also made some really good friends. So yes, I am happy.”

The table fell silent. Wes looked proud, his parents looked speechless. They had been using Wes to spy but hadn't bothered to ask themselves. Soul held eye contact with his Nan. The sternness in her face evaporated as she smiled at her grandson.

“Good,” she breathed. “That's all that matters, isn't that right Celeste, Al?” She looked at Soul's parents. His father shrunk at the use of his nickname.

Her mother, however, smiled. She looked at her son as she said, “Yes, that's all that matters.”

The tension in Soul's shoulders left. He relaxed back in his chair, small smile tugging at his lips. Leave it to his Nan to clear up months of miscommunication in one night. He hoped his parents would loosen up around him now. Even just a little.

After dinner and dessert, they moved to the living room. As a special gift only for their beloved Nan, Soul and Wes performed a mini concert for her. There was no pressure or judging audience, just the warm smile of his grandmother and his (for once) relaxed parents. They played late into the night, steaming mugs of hot chocolate and glasses of wine keeping them company along with a plate of Christmas cookies.

Soul fell asleep that night feeling more content than he had in a long while.

Christmas morning was spent in pajamas with pancakes and bacon and eggs. Soul curled in a ball on the couch as gifts were exchanged. He received mostly clothes but was also gifted with a new laptop, which he desperately needed.

That afternoon Soul sat in his room setting up his new laptop and checking the barrage of texts he received from his friends. He had never had so many people wishing him a merry Christmas before. He grinned to himself as he responded to each one.

 

* * * * *

 

The week leading up to New Year's Eve Soul spent mostly on his laptop, chatting online with friends. He spent as much time as he could with his Nan before she had to fly back home. Going out to lunch with her and baking late into the night like they did when he was a child.

He kept in contact with Maka who, despite her father's failure at Thanksgiving, had a seemingly good Christmas. Stein and Marie had come over Christmas day and they had dinner together. Soul wondered how weird it would be to sit down to dinner with your teacher. Especially when that teacher was their eccentric professor.

She also excitedly told him that Marie had announced that she was pregnant on Christmas by giving Stein a  _ #1 Dad _ mug. Soul would have payed good money to see his teacher's reaction.

Between being busy with his grandmother and wasting days around with new games that his new laptop could actually play, December 31 st seemed to creep up on Soul. He received a group text that morning from Liz.

Her sister and her were hosting a New Year's Eve party at their place and he was told he wasn't allowed to say no. There would be food and games and music and they were all welcome to stay the night. Everyone from their usual group was invited and had texted back their confirmation to going.

Soul hesitated. He hadn't seen anyone since school let out (excluding Maka) and he had to admit he missed them. But his Nan was leaving the next day and he didn't want her to feel offended.

He descended the stairs and found the woman sitting in the kitchen with his mother, both sipping coffee. Her eyes lit up when he entered. He leaned over her and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek bone. “Morning, Nan.”

She smiled. “Good morning, Soul. What's troubling you?”

_ Ever observant, Nan _ .

“You're leaving tomorrow,” he started. She nodded. “But I was invited to a… uh- a get together tonight. For New Year's. Would you be okay if I went?”

He jumped back as her wrinkled hand lightly slapped his arm. “Don't be silly, boy! Of course I'll be okay. You go and have fun. Don't worry about me.”

“Are you sure? We only see each other maybe twice a year...” he drifted off.

“You spent most of your vacation with me. Go be with your friends. We'll see each other in the Spring,” she reasoned.

Soul looked at his mother, hope in his eyes. She smiled and nodded. He grinned, wrapping his grandmother in a tight hug. “Thanks, Nan.”

Hours later after he packed a small overnight bag and said his farewells, he was driving to the address Liz had provided. He thought it would be somewhere in the vicinity of Maka's neighborhood but was surprised to find the address was closer to his own.

He pulled into a driveway of a large, elegant house. It was white with deep red shingles and perfectly cut hedges surrounding the lawn. A collection of cars were already parked in the driveway and on the street outside, one of which he recognized as Maka's truck.

He could hear voices inside the house when he knocked on the door. He was expecting Liz or Patti or even anyone else from their group to answer the door. He was not expecting to come face to face yet  _ again _ with his old classmate, Kid.

“Soul, welcome. Come on in,” Kid said, stepping back to let the other boy in.

“Uhh,” he replied. He let himself in despite his confusion. Just past Kid, Soul could see a hallway that opened to a large living room. He saw his friends already settled in, making themselves comfortable.

Patti saw him first, waving wildly before running up to greet him. “Heya Soul! Come in, come in!” She grabbed his arm and tugged him down the hall.

“Patti, he has to take his shoes off first!” Kid scolded, chasing after them.

Patti giggled. “Sorry.” She turned around and tugged Soul back to the entrance.

“I can walk myself, y'know,” he grumbled.

The younger blonde laughed in response and let go. She let Soul remove his shoes and set his bag down and rushed down the hall, yelling as she went. “Hey everyone, Soul's here!”

A chorus of greetings were yelled out. He followed the voices and the full room came into view. A large couch was already full and occupied. Tsubaki sat with Liz, Kilik beside her. Harvar was near the end, phone in hand and squished between him and the arm of the couch was Jackie with Kim on her lap. On the other arm Maka sat, laughing at something Tsubaki had said.

Black Star sat on the floor in front of the coffee table that was filled with food, helping himself. Patti joined him, stuffing a few different sweets in her mouth at once. Soul looked around then back to Kid.

“Make yourself at home,” he sighed. “Everyone else already has.”

Souls snickered. He forgot what a neat freak the guy was and his friends were certainly not going by his house rules. “Thanks,” he said, sitting on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. Kid settled into an arm chair.

“I didn't know you lived with Liz and Patti,” Soul commented.

“Yeah, who knew they were loaded?” Black Star cackled.

Liz kicked his side from the couch. “ _ We're _ not. Our foster dad is.”

“They came to live with me a year ago,” Kid answered, turning to Soul. “My father took them in when they had nowhere to go.”

Soul nodded. “Cool.”

He didn't know much about Kid's personal life besides the fact his father was the dean of one of the most prestigious academies in the country. And that Kid was reserved and somewhat hard to get along with. It's what made them become friends in the first place. Outcasts stick together. It made him happy to know he had girls like the Thompson sisters to keep him company at home.

“Hey Soul,” Maka called from the couch. Soul turned to her and cursed his beating heart. It had been over a week since he had seen her last and though they had stayed in contact, it wasn't the same as seeing her.

He remembered his dark car and her lips on his cheek and he flushed. “Hey,” he replied, hoping he sounded casual.

“How's your vacation been? Has your Nan been enjoying herself?”

He grinned, thinking about his headstrong grandmother. “Yeah, she has. She's going back tomorrow but I think she had a nice trip.”

Maka smiled. “That's good. I wish I could-”

“Oh!” Tsubaki cried, cutting Maka off. She seemed to have just noticed the two were conversing. “I can move, Soul. You guys can sit together and chat so you don't have to call across the room.”

Soul blinked. “Uh, no that's okay, Tsu. I can just sit here- oh okay you're already moving. Alright. Thanks.” He stood awkwardly as Tsubaki beamed at him, taking his place on the floor. The spot in between Liz and Maka stared at him.

He sat and let himself sink into the plush cushions. “Anyways, as I was saying,” Maka continued.

“Oh, Maka!” This time, Liz interrupted.

Maka looked annoyed. “Yes, Liz?” She asked through clenched teeth.

“The arm of the couch  _ can't  _ be comfortable. Why don't you sit on Soul's lap instead?” She asked with a devilish grin. She even had the audacity to pat Soul's legs. Soul gaped. “I mean they're a little bony but they've gotta be more comfortable than that.”

The two teens blushed fiercely, both trying to talk around their stammers. “I- We- Liz! I'm just fine right here, thank you very much,” Maka huffed.

Liz, along with the rest of the room, laughed. Soul wanted to disappear. “Suit yourself,” the older blonde said with a shrug.

“You're missing out,” Kim called from the other side of the couch, wiggling on Jackie's lap. Soul thought the brunette was going to burst into flames.

“Shut up,” he grumbled, turning away from them. The group of friends laughed again but let it go, each returning to their own conversations. He looked up at Maka, who was avoiding his face and blushing. He couldn't blame her but he didn't want the awkwardness to continue. “You were saying?” He asked, ignoring his own heated cheeks.

She glanced over and must have decided to let it go, turning to face him. “I was just saying I wish I could have met her. Your grandmother, that is. From what you were texting me she sounds like a real character.”

Soul chuckled. “She's certainly something. Maybe you can meet her next time she comes down. I think she'd like you.”

Her returning smile was soft. “I'd like that.”

“Alright losers, now that everyone’s here let’s start the party,” Liz called, standing up from her spot on the couch.

“You mean the party hadn’t already started?” Jackie asked, looking puzzled.

“Nope,” she replied, popping the ‘p’. “I will be right back.” The older blonde smiled mischievously and disappeared down the hall. 

She returned with a black box in one hand and video game cases stacked in her other hand. She dropped the games by the large flat screen TV that had different game systems hooked up and placed the black box on the table with the food. Soul recognized it as ‘Cards Against Humanity’.

“We got Mario Kart and Smash. We have to play those first, though it might get a bit violent,” she eyed her younger sister warily. Patti had an evil grin spread across her face. “Then later we can play cards and laugh off the hatred we will no doubtedly harbour for each other after those games.”

“Oh man, I’m gonna kick your asses at all of these,” Black Star grinned, food forgotten now that video games were present.

“My first high school party and it’s with a bunch of nerds,” Soul deadpanned.

“What’d you expect, loud music and underage drinking?” Killik laughed.

The other teen shrugged. “Maybe? I guess.”

“We have those too,” Killik replied. “But tonight we’re just… well I would say chilling but nothing is chill about the way Maka looks right now.”

Soul followed Killik’s gaze to Maka who had a terrifying look in her green eyes. She was staring, or rather glaring, at Black Star. The loud teen was spreading the games in front of him, deciding which one to play first. He didn’t get a chance to choose. Maka abruptly stood up, pointing a finger at her childhood friend.

“Black Star,” she seethed. “Mario Kart. You and me. You owe me a rematch!”

Soul could swear he saw flames consuming the air around her. He shrunk back. Evil laughter came from the blue haired teen on the floor. “You asked for it, pigtails. Get ready for total annihilation!”

With more force than necessary, Black Star inserted the game disc into the console. Maka snatched a remote from the pile in front of the T.V. and plopped down next to Black Star.

“Not again,” Kim sighed. “These two idiots always get way too fired up over this game.”

“Do not!” Maka called from the floor. 

Kim rolled her eyes. “Sure. Well, you nerds have fun. Call us when you play cards.” The petite girl then stood up and grabbed her girlfriend’s hand, tugging her off down the hallway.

“Where are they--” Soul began. Liz gave him a look. “Oh.” He flushed. Patti cackled.

“Don’t you dare do anything in my room,” Kid called after them. Kim waved him off and even from the back the room could tell Jackie was steaming.

The familiar voice of Mario caught Soul’s attention again. Maka was sitting ramrod straight and he couldn’t help but laugh. Of all the things she got worked up about, Mario Kart was not one he’d suspect.

“Two more gotta join us! It’s better with more people. Tsu!” Black Star shoved a controller in Tsubaki’s direction. She smiled sweetly, reaching to grab it.

Patti grabs the other, giggling to herself. Liz was shaking her head, an exasperated smile on her face. “This’ll be good,” she commented.

“This might get bloody,” Killik said, pushing his glasses up and leaning forward. Harvar nodded, eyes glued to the screen.

The cheerful soundtrack of the game made the serious atmosphere of the room almost comical but Soul still sat with bated breath. The four players chose their characters, entered a cup and then all hell broke loose.

Each race was filled with wild laughter and the strangest combinations of profanities. Rather than trying to actually  _ win _ the races, Black Star and the two blondes just seemed hell bent on messing each other up. Bananas and shells and every other annoying item were used to the best of their ability, making the races intensely entertaining to watch.

While the three tried to make the others lives miserable Tsubaki managed to finish first in nearly every race, being the only one actually trying. Maka was literally growling, telling Black Star to brush his teeth to get the shit he’d been eating out of his grin.

Liz made them change to another game before any of them had to worry about a murder on their hands. Maka grumpily sat back on the couch’s armrest next to Soul, muttering angrily under her breath. 

“Who knew you were so creative?” Soul said between laughs. “I mean really, you told him you would take his banana and shove it so far up his ass he’d be spitting out the peel.”

“Ugh, shut up. Next time I will end him,” she muttered darkly.

Smash was played next. Soul played a few rounds but no one could beat Harvar. He calmly (but smugly) handed everyone their asses on silver platters. Even when three went on a team against him. Black Star ended up getting frustrated and calling him a nerd before shutting the system off.

A text was sent by Liz and a very satisfied Kim and sheepish Jackie returned to the party. Everyone sat around the table, food shoved aside to make room for the cards. Time slipped away from them as they played, the house being filled with the sounds of inappropriate jokes and roaring laughter. By the end they had realized Tsubaki was not the sweet, quiet girl they all made her out to be and that they were all going to Hell together. It was a comfort to know that at least they wouldn’t be alone when they made their fiery descent.

“Shit, it’s almost midnight,” Liz noticed, checking her phone. “Patti, go get the stuff.”

“Aye aye, sis!” The younger Thompson replied before disappearing down the hall.

“Uh, what ‘stuff’ are you talking about?” Maka asked skeptically.

Liz shared a secret smile with Kid. “You’ll see,” she answered. 

“Let’s all gather outside, shall we?” Kid asked, leading the group to the backyard.

Outside it was chilly but the sky was clear and beautiful. The stars twinkled and shined beautifully and for a moment the friends sat in silent awe. Patti interrupted the quiet by dropping multiple fireworks on the grass. She grinned and gave the group a thumbs up.

“To welcome the new year with a bang,” Kid explained.

“And because we wanted to blow stuff up,” Liz added.

“It was one of our resolutions this year,” said Patti.

Soul shrugged. Made sense. He looked at the pile of colourful explosives Patti had brought out. They were all different sizes and some of them had corny names printed on the sides. The teens buzzed with excitement as they began to set them up. Maka was physically shaking with anticipation, eyes shining bright. It was infectious, it seemed, for Soul couldn’t stop the thudding of his heart. 

Midnight finally hit and the friends cheered, setting off as many fireworks that was safely possible at once. The night sky lit up in an array of colours. Blues and pinks, greens and yellows. Shimmering and sparkling, creating their own private galaxy of light. Each face was illuminated, eyes shining in childlike wonder.

Somehow in the middle of the bursts of colours and loud explosions, Maka’s hand found its way into Soul’s. She squeezed it tight, smile as magnificent as the fireworks themselves. Her hand was cold in his so he let his warmth envelop her, squeezing back.

Soon the colours faded and they ran out of fireworks to set off. The chilly night air sent them all rushing back inside, itching to get warm. Together they moved the coffee table into another room and pulled mattresses and any available blankets and pillows out into the living room, creating a pile of comfort. Their day clothes were traded for pyjamas (most of them being onesies) and the group of friends settled into their makeshift nest.

They all decided they’d stay up till the first sunrise and put a movie on the TV, all cuddling into the blankets. Harvar ended up curled on the couch, Jackie and Kim cuddled together under one blanket right by the couch. Black Star spread out right in front of the entertainment center, sitting so close to the television Soul was sure he’d go blind. Tsubaki lay next to him and no one missed the way Black Star’s hand slowly rubbed circles into her back. Liz and Patti collapsed in the middle of the room, sharing a large blanket. Killik was close to them, glasses off and seemingly already dozing off. Maka and Soul were left to the outer edge of the nest with only a pile of pillows and a thick comforter. 

“Uh, I could just sleep in the chair,” Soul offered, realizing they’d have to share. 

Maka looked hurt. “What’s wrong with sharing with me?” She asked.

“Nothing,” he mumbled. “It’s just, uh,” he stumbled for an excuse.

“It’s just he doesn’t want you to feel his morning wood!” Black Star cackled.

All the blood in Soul’s body rushed to his face. “Shut  _ up _ , Star!”

His friend laughed, the others joined. Maka’s cheeks were tinged pink. “O-oh, well. I mean, that’s only natural for a teenage boy and it’s not like you can help it and-” she rambled.

“Noooo,” Soul groaned. “That’s not it at all!”

She stopped. “Oh. Then what’s the problem?”

Everyone stared, infuriating grins spread on their faces. The traitors. 

“Nothing, nevermind. Scooch.” Soul slipped under the blanket with the girl, letting out an annoyed huff. He tried to calm his heart. Getting flustered over sharing a blanket and sleeping next to his more-than-crush was definitely  _ not _ cool. 

The attention finally shifted off of Soul and back to the movie that had started. Rather than watch it seriously, the friends made silly comments or simply talked amongst themselves. Soul made small sarcastic comments under his breath that had Maka collapsing against him in laughter. He had trouble keeping a straight face himself. Another movie was put on, though a few had already fallen asleep. Soul was laying down himself, playing games on his phone. Maka curled close beside him, sharing his body heat and watching him play.

Hours passed and the television was turned off. Nearly everyone was asleep and those who weren’t were speaking in hushed whispers to each other. The occasional sleep-deprived giggle would be heard before it would quiet down again. 

When the sky outside began to lighten and Soul’s heavy eyes began to droop close, Maka mumbled a question into his shoulder. He shifted carefully to look down at her. “What’d you say?” he mumbled back.

She moved her face from his arm to meet his gaze. “I said, what was your favourite memory from this year?” 

Soul stared at her then stared at the ceiling. He grew quiet. What  _ was _ his favourite memory? So much had happened in the past year, it was hard to think of it all. He could cut out the first seven or eight months though, those had been pretty crap but as soon as he started at DCH, a lot of good things happened. He thought about meeting Black Star and Maka in the hallway on his first day, about hanging out with his new group of friends for the first time and them actually liking him. Then there was the Halloween party and all the time he spent with Maka after it. The confidence she gave him to start being himself again. Confronting his family and finally getting them to really see him. All of those things were highlights for him, but which one was his favourite?

“Did you fall asleep?” She asked, gently poking his side. He squirmed.

“No, was just thinking.” He could feel her eyes on him, waiting. He turned back to her. “I think,” he began, “I think my favourite memory was probably the day I registered myself for DCH. That was kind of the day everything changed for me, y’know? I did something for myself, something to make  _ me _ happy, rather than my family. So, yeah. I think that was probably my favourite memory.” 

Soul waited in the silence for her response. He wasn’t planning on saying so much but he had no filter in his sleep deprived state. A slow, dopey grin grew on his crush’s face. “That’s really nice, Soul,” she replied, snuggling closer to him. “That makes me happy.”

He watched her eyes close and he let his arm drape gently over her, making sure they were both sufficiently covered by the blanket. “What was your favourite memory?” He asked, letting his eyes droop close as well.

“Hmm. Too sleepy to think, but this is pretty nice,” she murmured.

He hummed in agreement then let the sounds of his snoring friends and the morning birds chirping lull him to sleep.

Too soon afterwards, Soul woke up. The sun was shining bright and the rest of his friends seemed to be in the same mood as him. Each one woke up groggy and groaning, hair a mess and pyjamas wrinkled. They made the unanimous decision to pull their tired bodies to the nearest Deathbucks and consume as much coffee and baked goods that they could handle. Though they were tired and a mess, they were soon filled with overpriced, delicious caffeine. 

Surrounded by his friends and seated next to his crush, Soul couldn’t help but think it was a great way to start the new year. He only hoped that the rest of the year would go just as well.


	5. Because You Believe In Me

The new semester started too soon and the relaxation from break seemed to float far away. Without any choice, Soul was thrown head first back into school work. Any free time he did have was spent mostly with Maka. They did almost everything together. They studied, watched movies, had coffee, even showed up to hang outs with their friends together.

Everyone was convinced that they were an “item” and as much as they both denied it, Soul was beginning to wonder himself. It certainly felt like they were more than friends, but less than lovers. Holding hands and hugs were a common occurrence among them now and cuddling during a movie was the norm. Hell, they had even spent Valentine’s day together (though, to be fair that was hardly romantic. That holiday was a sore spot for Maka, reminding her of her father’s disgusting ways and the reason her mother left. Rather than spend it bitter and alone, she had Soul come over to watch horror movies and pig out on junk food.) Either way, disrupting what they had was the last thing Soul wanted to do. They were in a comfortable sort of limbo and both were terrified to make a move that would shatter the calm.

So for months they went on like that and Soul convinced himself that it was fine, and it was. That is, until spring break came. The Friday before spring break, Soul was doing some last minute packing before his family’s big trip. They were flying out to Italy to see his Nan but, as was his style, he put off all his packing until the day before they had to leave. He sat on his bed surrounded by piles of clothes and music drifting from his speakers. He was about to start contemplating folding his clothes when his phone buzzed.

His friends had accused him of betraying them and leaving them behind for the break. They refused to forgive him until he promised to bring back nice souvenirs for each of them. Maka had seemed to be the most disappointed, pulling out her pretty pout that always turned him into putty when she found out. 

“We were supposed to binge watch  _ Say Yes To The Dress _ ,” she complained. “We’re not gonna have time now.” 

“Oh my God, Maka. Don’t say that out loud, that shit’s not cool,” Soul had responded in a hushed voice, checking to make sure no one heard.

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, dork. Am I gonna see you at all over the break though?” she had asked, pout back in full force which led to him inviting her over the day before he left.

He wasn’t intending on still having to pack, however, and now she was roped into helping him finish. He checked his phone and saw the message that said she was on her way. She had been over enough in the past few months that she was comfortable enough to let herself in when she arrived, so he didn’t bother responding.

He had his boxers and a couple shirts packed away when she opened his door, greeting him with a smile.

“Hey, you,” she greeted, taking a seat next to him on his bed. “I can see you’ve gotten a lot done,” she joked.

He glared. “Shaddup.” 

She laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m here now so let’s get to work.”

She helped him narrow down outfits he wanted to wear and taught him the best way to fold them as to not take up too much space, reminding him he had to fit souvenirs in for the trip home. She spotted a pair of boxers with a bone pattern on the cloth and had fun teasing him about them until he reminded her of the time he saw her paw print panties.

“Those are cute! I’m not embarrassed about those,” she huffed. Her bright red face said otherwise though.

“Yeah, and these are super cool, obviously,” he grinned, shaking the boxers in her face.

“You are gross, put those away!” She shoved him aside and he fell onto his bed laughing. “God, I’m glad you’re going away for a week.”

He glanced at her, silver eyebrows raised. “You sure? I don’t think you’ll last. Do you even have any other friends?”

She scoffed. “Need I remind you that  _ you _ are the new kid that I introduced to  _ my _ group of friends?”

He stuck his tongue out playfully and sat back up. “Whatever.You’re still a nerd.”

She playfully rolled her eyes and gently bumped her shoulder into his. “And you’re a dork,” she commented. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the sounds of the soft music playing from Soul’s expensive speakers filling the room. They were sitting close enough together that Soul could feel the warmth of her body pressing into his side. 

“I am going to miss you,” Maka said, breaking the silence. “I mean, I know it’s only a week but,” she stopped, cheeks flushing a pretty pink.

“But what?” He urged.

She turned towards him, green eyes burning into his. “You’re kinda my best friend. Like, suddenly all my free time has been spent with you and the thought that I’m gonna go a whole week without seeing your face? I dunno... it kinda makes me sad.”

Oh. Soul wasn’t expecting that. He agreed with her, though. It might be lame to admit, but he was going to miss her too. Even if it was just a week.

“Me too,” he replied, looking away in hopes she wouldn’t catch the colour on his own cheeks. “About the best friends thing and missing you,” he added. He turned back to her to see if he could read her expression.

In her eyes he could see some sort of emotion swirling and she was worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Her eyes darted down from his eyes to his mouth. He followed the movement carefully. Suddenly, she seemed a lot closer and he’s not sure which one of them moved, or if they both did. Her face was inches, no, centimeters away and he felt his breath get caught in his throat. He felt rather than heard his name tumble from her mouth and then her lips were on his.

He barely had time to close his eyes and register the kiss before she was pulling away. He was dazed, eyes blinking slowly. Had that really just happened? Judging by the look on Maka’s face, it had. She looked just as surprised at herself as he did. 

“Uhh,” Soul began, unsure of what to say.

“I have to go,” Maka said abruptly. 

“What?”

“I’m sorry, I know I said I was gonna help out but, um, my dad… the oven… my dad’s in the oven and I left it on, Sorry!”

She was off the bed and out the door before Soul could protest. He was left with a tingling in his lips, several cracks in his heart and still half a bag to pack. He swore silently. This was going to be a shitty vacation.

 

* * * * *

 

Soul didn’t sleep that night. He barely managed to finish his packing, let alone get a good night’s sleep. His mind kept playing the kiss on repeat and he kept telling himself he fucked up. He fucked up and now the girl he had been pining after for months was going to hate him and never speak to him again. He had tried to text her an hour or so after she left but she had shut him down, saying she just “needed some time” (whatever the hell that meant) so he was left to his thoughts.

A small, rational part of him tried to tell him that  _ he _ wasn’t the one that initiated the kiss so technically it wasn’t him that fucked up, but he smothered that thought. Self loathing was always easy for him and he latched onto the familiar feeling quickly. Besides, even if she did kiss him first, she ran away from him, so obviously he did something wrong. He stayed up most of the night trying to figure it out but came up with nothing. He stared blankly at the ceiling until the alarm on his phone went off.

The sun hadn’t even thought of coming up yet as Soul mindlessly collected his things. Early flights sucked ass but he hoped he’d at least get some sleep on the plane. He put his headphones on as soon as he was seated in his parents’ car in hopes they would leave him alone. Wes sat next to him and mercifully seemed to read his brother’s foul mood and kept to himself. After they had made it to the airport and onto their flight, the exhaustion caught up with him. He was out cold barely an hour into the flight, the smooth rhythm of calming jazz lulling  him to sleep. 

One layover and baggage claim mishap later, the Evans family was jet-lagged and exhausted. Soul’s father quickly got a car for them and they (finally) arrived at Nan’s. Soul had gone the whole day saying as little as possible. Any comment that he did make was usually snapped out quickly and quietly. Everyone had chalked it up to the long flight mixed with Soul’s usual grumpiness but he had a feeling Nan wasn’t going to be as easily convinced.

She greeted her family warmly and set them up in their respective rooms for the night.. The way Nan’s ancient eyes gazed into his when she greeted him let him know he wasn’t completely off the hook, though.

It was when Soul was settling into his bed that he realized he had forgotten one vital thing back home. His phone. He had left it charging on his bedside table and in his daze that morning he had forgotten to bring it with him. He was more concerned with bringing his iPod to make sure he had music for his journey. He swore under his breath.

“Of  _ all _ the things to leave behind,” he muttered, looking through his suitcase one more time for good measure. “You’ve got to be shitting me.” He sighed and plopped down on his bed. Now what was he gonna do? What if Maka tried to get a hold of him…

There was a knock on his door. 

“Come in,” he said just loud enough for the person to hear. 

He looked up as Wes entered. He groaned and let his head hit the pillow again. “Hey there grumpy pants,” his brother greeted with a grin.

“What do you want?” Soul grumbled.

“Heard you shuffling around and swearing. I was wondering if everything was alright?” 

If it wasn’t for the genuine concern in his voice, Soul would have brushed him off. Instead he sat up and met his brother’s worried gaze. 

“I left my phone back home,” he explained.

“Oh. That does suck. Need to borrow mine for anything?”

He considered that for a moment. “Nah. Well, maybe. I don’t remember anyone’s number but maybe you could message someone on Facebook for me?”

A knowing grin lit up Wes’ face. “Is it Maka?”

Soul frowned. “Yeah. Something happened and I just wanna make sure she doesn’t think I’m avoiding her or whatever.” He ignored the part of his brain that was telling him she might be avoiding him. He didn’t want to think about that.

For once Wes didn’t push, he simply agreed and brought out his phone. “Sure, I have her on mine so I can send her a message for you. Want me to just let her know you’re phoneless for a week?”

Soul nodded. “Yeah, that’ll do. Thanks, Wes.” He moved to lay back down on the soft mattress, turning away from the sympathetic look on his brother’s face.

“No problem. Night Soul. Feel better soon or else Nan will have a fit.” 

Soul made a nondescript noise and waited until he heard the door close again before shutting the bedside light off and closing his eyes.

The next day Wes reported that Maka had responded, telling him not to worry about it and to enjoy the trip. He laughed humorlessly at that.

_ Easier said than done _ , he thought bitterly.

He decided to give it the old college try though and spent most of the week in a  _ slightly _ better mood than at the start. He explored the gorgeous village of Portofino, finding comfort in the quaint architecture and the sea breeze on his face. He spent his evenings wandering the streets with his Nan and brother, finding random restaurants to eat at and enjoying sweets on the way home. His parents joined a few nights as well and Soul was reminded of why he loved these trips so much. Problems felt far away, carried off by the gulf’s waves.

It wasn’t until later in the week that Soul’s worries crashed back into him. He was resting on the railing of the balcony of his grandmother’s villa, enjoying the night air and the smell of salt water when he thought,  _ Maka would like it here _ .

The thought of her left a sour taste in his mouth and he tried to swallow it down. He had been doing so well, not thinking of the incident from Friday but now it felt fresh in his mind. His worries increased tenfold when he realized he’d be returning home in two days. What would he say when he saw her? What if she didn’t even want to see him? He felt sick. 

That kiss had been so quick but it had been so sweet. For one small moment his heart had soared and he thought maybe, just maybe, his feelings weren’t one sided. How quickly that feeling was destroyed. He was so lost in his angst-filled thoughts he didn’t hear the balcony door opening or the quiet shuffling behind him until his nan was standing next to him, a gentle hand resting on his shoulder. He jumped at the contact but instantly relaxed at her presence.

“What’s wrong my  _ tesero _ ?” she asked, rubbing her hand soothingly down his arm.

He let out a weary sigh. “Just a little tired, Nan,” he lies.

“Oh no. You’re not getting off that easy. Tell your sweet nana what’s wrong.” The silver haired woman cooed softly.

Crap. If there was one other face besides Maka’s that Soul couldn’t refuse, it was his nan’s. She saw through him in an instant with that warm smile of hers.

“Okay,” he began, giving in. “So, there’s this girl, right?”

She nodded. “Maka, right?”

“Yes, Maka- wait.” He cut himself off, “How do you know about her?”

Her answering smile was too secretive for his tastes. “A little birdy might have been keeping me in the loop. I saw a picture of you and her from the Christmas concert. She’s very lovely.”

“Ugh, I’m gonna kill Wes, I swear,” he ground out.

Nan only laughed. “He means well, dear. Go on.”

Soul took one look at her open expression, took a deep breath, held it and let it loose. “Okay, basically what happened is right before we flew out here, Maka and I were hanging out and we ended up kissing. Which you’d think would be great, right? Wrong. It was great for me sure, but I obviously royally fu-- err, messed up because she  _ freaked _ . Just got up and left without explanation. And God, Nan I like her so much it scares me. She makes me feel happy and like I’m actually worth something and,” he stopped and let himself breathe. He looked up at the kind woman before him from under his lashes. “What if I messed everything up? I don’t want to lose her as a friend but I think I might have.”

Nan pursed her lips together, eyeing her grandson for what seemed like forever before she spoke up. “Have you told her how you feel?”

Soul blinked smartly. “...No.”

“Then how do you know you messed things up? You won’t know anything until you face her head on, right?”

“I guess,” he shrugged. “But that kind of  _ terrifies _ me.”

“Soul,” she replied with a smile. “My dear, sweet Soul. Anything great in life  _ should _ terrify you.”

She squeezed his arm in a comforting manner and Soul could feel himself smile in return. “Thanks, Nan.”

“Anytime hon.” She pat him gently. “Now when you get back I want you to find that pretty girl and tell her everything you told me. And believe me, I’ll know if you didn’t. My little bird is very informative.” She left him with a wink, a soft kiss on the cheek, and a new found confidence. 

Talking to Maka wasn’t going to be easy and it was sure as hell going to be terrifying, but he had to do it. His nan was right (as always). How could he know for sure how Maka felt if he had never even asked? He at least wanted to let his own feelings be known and whatever happened after that was up to her. He would try not to get his hopes up but suddenly his trip home couldn’t come soon enough.

 

* * * * *

 

Two days later, Soul was happily collapsing in his own bed back home. He knew that the next day he’d have to confront Maka, but for now he let himself crash and catch up on his much needed rest.

He awoke the next morning to the clinking of dishes in the kitchen and light laughter. It didn’t sound like anyone from his family and he wondered who had a guest this early on a Sunday. He sleepily stumbled down the stairs and down into the kitchen.

His brother’s frame came into view and Soul grumbled. “Wes, what the hell is all this noise abou-” he stopped midsentence, suddenly wide awake. Sitting at the small round kitchen table was none other than Maka Albarn herself. She was sipping coffee with his brother like it was the most normal thing in the world. He contemplated doing a complete 180 and heading back to bed but unfortunately, she noticed him.

“Hi, Soul,” she said, standing up from the table.

“Hey,” he replied, voice still rough from sleep. He cleared his throat.

“Well, I have to go do.... a thing. Have fun, kids,” Wes said with an easy smile. Soul watched his brother make his escape from the obvious social awkwardness and cursed him for leaving him alone. 

“How was your trip?” Maka asked after Wes was gone. Her voice sounded strained, unnatural.

“Good.” His reply was short. This was not how he imagined their conversation going. He thought he’d at  _ least _ have time to wake up.

She nodded. “Good.” She played with the edge of her skirt for a moment before closing the distance between them and smacking him,  _ hard _ , in the arm. 

“Ow, what the fuck?!” He rubbed his arm and took a step back. “What was that for?”

“For being an idiot and forgetting your phone!” she shouted. “And after what happened, too,” she added quietly.

“Sorry,” he replied sheepishly. 

She shook her head but he saw a hint of a smile. “You’re helpless. Go get ready, we’re gonna go grab breakfast.”

A quick shower and a change of clothes later, the two teens were on their way to Deathbucks. They filled the car ride with small talk; Soul going over some highlights of his trip and Maka telling him of her boring (yet relaxing) week. The idle chatter continued on until they had their food and were seated at a table tucked away in the corner of the cafe. While it wasn’t necessarily bad, Soul could tell it was strained.

He blew on his coffee, trying to build up the courage to speak. Maka beat him to the punch.

She set her steaming mug down on the table between them then looked up. “I’m sorry about what happened. About, well, you know… kissing you.” She had to force the words out, her cheeks flushing the same pink he remembered from that day. “I should have asked you first.”

“It’s okay,” Soul answered. He swallowed thickly. It was now or never. “Honestly it was kind of nice. You know, before you up and bolted.”

Maka winced. “I know, I’m sorry. It’s just...  _ urgh _ .” She balled her hands into fists in her lap, seemingly frustrated with herself.

“Look, Maka.” He waited until her eyes were on him again. “I’m just gonna lay it all out there, okay? I like you. You mean a lot to me, like more than I ever thought you would. You make me happy and I like spending time with you. Like you said before, you’re my best friend. I…” he stopped, taking a shaky breath, “I’d like for us to be more, if we could, but first and foremost you’re my friend. So… so whatever you have to say, however you feel, I’ll be fine with it. Your friendship means more to me than that.”

Though his hands were shaking his gaze was firm and level with hers. He watched her eyes shine with wetness and he prayed to whatever God there was that she wouldn’t cry.

“I-” She cleared her throat and tried again. “I like you too, Soul. A lot. That’s why I kissed you. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. I’m just  _ so scared _ . What if we get together but end up breaking up? What if we start hating each other? I just… I can’t handle that. I don’t want to ruin what we have.” She reached a trembling hand out to clasp it around Soul’s. “Can we just stay as we are? I just don’t think I’m ready. The risk is too big.” Her voice was thick and Soul could tell she was thinking about her parents.

He wanted to grab her and tell her that they were  _ not _ her parents. They wouldn’t make the same mistakes they did, they’d make their own. He wanted to tell her this but he held back. If she wasn’t ready, even if she’d never be ready, he’d accept it. It hurt like hell but there was a small part of him that was relieved because  _ she had said she liked him _ . She cared about him more than he thought and that alone was enough for him.

He moved his hand so that he could intertwine their fingers but said nothing.

“Soul?”

He looked up, a grin breaking his somber features. “Don’t look so serious, nerd. I just told you, you’re my friend first. We don’t have to do anything at all.”

Relief washed over her and relaxed her tense shoulders. She smiled and squeezed his hand. “Thank you. You’re amazing.”

Soul shrugged. “I know.”

 

* * * * *

 

As was probably to be expected, Soul and Maka didn’t bounce back to their usual closeness right away. They both needed space to sort through the whirlwind of emotions within them. This led to the two of them spending more time with others in their group of friends. At least, that’s what Soul was doing. With the end of the year approaching fast, Maka was concentrating on her studies. Rather than study with her like he normally would, he spent his free time out playing basketball with Black Star and Killik. 

They noticed the odd increase of Soul’s company but didn’t say anything about it for the first couple of weeks. It wasn’t until one afternoon when the boys had passed Maka on their way to the courts after school that they decided to intervene. When they passed, Maka had merely smiled and waved before hurrying off. As soon as she was out of earshot Black Star turned on his friend.

“Alright, what the hell is going on with you two?” The boy asked, backing Soul up into the lockers.

“What do you mean?” he asked, feigning innocence. 

“Soul, come on. Even Black Star knows something’s up,” Killik stated, unimpressed.

Black Star placed his hands on his hips. “You can’t fool your God! Nothing can get past me. Fess up, shark face!”

Soul cringed at the use of the old nickname. If anyone walked down the hallway right now, they’d probably think Soul was being bullied, cornered against the lockers with two members of the basketball team towering over him. He sighed and slouched, giving in. 

“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you. Just stop looking at me like you’re gonna smash my face in with your ‘godly’ fists.”

The blue haired teen raised one eyebrow. “Not until I know you didn’t do something to deserve my divine punishment.”

“Star,” Killik reasoned. “I think Maka would have dealt with him already if he had.”

He shrugged. “True.” He quickly contemplated, “Okay, continue minion.”

With an internal groan Soul gave them an edited summary of the events that had transpired the month before. He left out the emotional bits, telling them that they told each other how they felt but ultimately decided to stay friends.

“We’re fine, it’s just been a bit off ever since then. She just needs some time or whatever to think things through.”

“Bro,” Star said. “BRO. That’s it? Damn, you two had all of us on edge for a month over nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” Soul argued.

“So what are you going to do?” Killik asked. “You keep going down this road of ‘giving each other space’ you two are just gonna keep drifting apart.” 

Soul shrugged uncomfortably. “I don’t know, man. I don’t want it to keep on like this but I don’t know what to do.”

“You need to get over yourself. Ah bup bup,” Killik waved his finger at Soul’s bristled expression. “Before you get all huffy and offended, hear me out. The main thing that’s keeping you guys from being all friendly like before is your expectations. You need to get over that. Forget all the maybes and what ifs and get rid of your expectations.”

“I don’t have any expectations. I told you, we decided to just be friends and-” Killik cut him off.

“You do too have expectations. You guys told each other you liked each other or whatever it was and even if you  _ say  _ you’re okay with just being friends, there’s still a small part of you that has your hopes up. There’s also a part of you that expects this to go down in flames.”

“How do you know that?”

“Dude, you’re kiiind of a huge downer sometimes,” Black Star supplied helpfully. Soul glared.

Killik shrugged. “It’s true. Anyways, you didn’t have expectations before and you guys were fine. So go back to that. Stop saying you’re going to and actually do it. Just go and do something you two would have before and forget the rest. Then whatever happens, happens.”

Both Black Star and Soul stared at their friend in slight awe. “Dude, where the fuck did all of that come from?”

Killik let out a laugh and shrugged. “Liz and I have been talking about this shit all year and we’re honestly a bit fed up. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s had a similar talk with Maka.”

Soul shook his head. He didn’t want to admit that his friend was right, but he was. He did have lingering expectations, both good and bad. He had a small hope Maka would change her mind but he was also still terrified that she’d decide to keep drifting away from him. He missed the way things were before the kiss. Hanging out, joking, simply being comfortable in each other’s company. 

Soul straightened out of his slouch, regarding his friend with a new found determination in his eyes. “Thanks, dude. I’m gonna try what you said.”

The dark skinned boy grinned, nudging his friend playfully in the shoulder. “Anytime, bro.”

Black Star let out a huff. “Alright, now that we had our bro talk and got down to the root of our sensitive Soul’s problems, can we go play ball?”

The boys laughed, shoving Black Star away and down the hallway. It was nice to know he had friends who cared so much, even if they sometimes showed it in odd ways. Now all Soul had to do was think of something for him and Maka to do to reboot their friendship.

Not even a week later posters for Death City High’s junior/senior prom started showing up all over the school. The posters were a deep blue, a manic looking crescent moon with a disturbing smile decorating the center. It sent a shiver down Soul’s spine. “DCH PROM 2016: CAN’T FIGHT THE MOONLIGHT” was printed in large letters above the moon. Underneath were ticket prices and the date and time of the event. Soul ignored the first ten posters he passed but it was hard not to miss the one that was plastered right on his locker door. 

“Oh, I can’t wait!” Soul jumped back, not expecting Maka to be right at his locker first thing in the morning. “Prom is gonna be fun,” she said with a smile. It faltered for a moment though. “But I guess you won’t be going, right? Dances and stuff aren’t your thing if I remember correctly.”

“Uh, right. Well, we’ll see,” he responded. He opened his locker and grabbed the necessary books. She wasn’t wrong. Dances definitely weren’t his thing, but he  _ did  _ have fun at the Halloween party earlier that year. He snuck a glance at Maka who was reading over one of the posters, bouncing on her heels. She looked so excited. 

He closed his locker and she turned on her heel. “Ah well, I guess it’s okay either way.” 

She began walking down the hall, heading to her first class and before he could stop himself, Soul blurted out, “I’ll go if you go with me.” 

Maka stopped and turned, wide eyed. “What?”

Shit. “As friends. Or not. Or yes. But, uh, I’ll go. To prom. With you.” He cringed. This was an awful way to ask her. “That is if you want?”

A moment passed. Then another. Soul could hear his heart beating fastly. Maka blinked twice before a wide grin broke across her face. She launched herself at him in a hug, giggling as she did.

“I’d love to go to prom with you,” she laughed.

“Really? As friends?” he asked, shocked by the sudden show of affection (though not shocked enough to not hug back).

She pulled back, a secret tucked away in her smile. “Hmm,” she hummed. “Okay, I’ll see you in Bio!” She waved once then skipped off down the hall. Soul felt warm.

He wondered if he should get a new tux.  
  


* * * * *

 

The weeks leading up to prom were a bit of a blur. Final exams came and went and miraculously Soul passed with decent grades. Maka passed with flying colours and boasted for the entire day that she was able to pass the smartest kid in school, Ox Ford.

The day of the prom Soul was a bundle of nerves. He stood in the bathroom, fixing his bowtie for the millionth time and making sure his hair was styled  _ just  _ so. Wes sat on the edge of the tub, offering moral support. He had offered to do his little brother’s hair but had been viciously denied. No one was allowed to style his hair but him. They’d only mess it up.

“You look great, bro. Very handsome,” Wes piped up. “Maka won’t know what hit her.”

Soul scoffed. “Sure.” He continued to mess with his hair.

“So you guys are going as… what? Friends?”

“As something,” Soul shrugged. “I’m trying not to worry about it.”

Wes nodded. “I see.” He got up from the tub and stood directly behind his brother, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. He smiled at him in the mirror. “I’m really proud of you little brother. You’ve come a long way from the kid you used to be.”

Soul met his brother’s eyes in the mirror. He noticed that they were getting close to the same height now. When had that happened? He looked away. “Don’t get all emotional on me now. I’m just going to prom,” he snarked.

Wes laughed. “I know but I can’t help it. You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“Wes, you’re only 26.”

Wes pat his shoulder. “When you’re older.” He turned to leave, telling him he’d see him downstairs when he was ready. Soul smiled softly when he left, shaking his head. 

Bowtie even and hair perfectly disheveled, Soul climbed in his car. He eyed the red corsage on the seat next to him, gathered every last ounce of courage he had, and drove off to pick up his date.

The sun was just beginning to set when he pulled into Maka’s driveway. The blue sky faded into oranges and purples as he stood on her front door step, corsage in hand. His knuckles hit the door three times in quick succession.

Spirit Albarn answered the door. He had a murderous aura surrounding him but Soul knew by now to ignore it.

“Old man,” Soul greeted.

“Twerp,” the man greeted back.

“Is Maka ready yet?”

Spirit growled low in his throat. “She’ll be down in a moment.” He stepped aside, holding the door open. 

Soul let himself in and leaned against the wall by the staircase. Seconds later the rustling of fabric and heels on carpet could be heard from the top. He saw her legs first, descending the steps carefully in her heels. Black fabric flowed out from behind her, leaving her legs bare up to just above her knees. Beautiful silver embroidery adorned the sweetheart neckline, accentuating Maka’s collar bones and neck in a way that made Soul’s breath hitch. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a simple bun, her face out in the open. 

She smiled shyly. “Hi.”

Soul smiled back, any previous fears melting away. “Hi.” He held the corsage out to her. “For you.”

She offered her wrist and he helped her put it on. The bright red went beautifully with the black of her dress and brought out the red of her lips. “Thank you.” She linked her arm in his, smiling brightly. “You ready to go?”

He shrugged. “About as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Together they exited the house, Maka waving to her father as they did. Spirit followed them, leaning out the front door.

“Hey kid, don’t do anything stupid tonight!”

Soul waved, opening his car door. “No promises, old man!” The teens laughed, watching the man turn as red as his hair before taking off down the road.

The hotel the prom was held at was crowded both outside and in. Students dressed in beautiful dresses and fancy tuxes stood around buzzing with excitement. Soul and Maka followed the line into the building and found their group of friends at the table they had reserved. Maka was immediately greeted by the girls squealing incoherently. Something about how good they all looked and how excited they were. Soul was greeted with the usual ‘bro nod’ from the other guys. Killik was looking proud and even managed to shoot Soul a thumbs up.

The room itself was decorated in deep blues and purples. Large lights in the shapes of stars hung from the ceiling, giving the whole area a mysterious feel. At the end of the dancefloor hung a giant paper mache version of the moon from the poster. Soul couldn’t help but feel they took the theme “can’t fight the moonlight” a little too literally. The standard poppy music played from the DJ booth that was set up just under the moon.

“Now that everyone is here, let’s  _ dance _ !” Liz cheered, pulling her sister and Tsubaki out onto the dancefloor. Tsubaki latched onto Maka who happily followed along. She gestured to Soul who only followed thanks to the headlock Black Star put him in, dragging him across the room.

It wasn’t music Soul would normally like, but for one night he figured he could drop his snobby musician’s attitude and enjoy himself. He laughed along with his friends as Black Star got too into  _ Turn Down for What _ , Tsubaki having to physically remove him from the top of one of the tables to stop him from jump twerking into the floor like they did in the music video. He watched as Liz snapped photos of Kim and Jackie making out in a corner, snickering to herself. They had even managed to get stoic Harvar out onto the dancefloor with them.

Maka slid up to him and swung her hips to an upbeat song, moving her arms gracefully around herself. Caught up in the adrenaline, Soul let his hands come to rest on her hips. It reminded him so much of their first dance together that he smiled.

“You’ve gotten much better,” he called over the music.

She grinned. “I’ve been practicing.”

He chuckled. He could definitely see Maka standing in front of a mirror at home, practicing the figure eights he taught her and trying to move to music. “Your teacher is very proud.”

She giggled. “Think I’m ready to learn some ballroom dancing?”

“Hmm, I don’t think I’d trust you with that just yet. Think of my poor feet,” he teased.

She playfully slapped him. “Hey! At least I don’t look like someone dropped a bug down my dress.”

He laughed in agreement. They continued to dance, going back and forth from moving in tune with the music to trying out all the corny dance moves they knew. They had to take a break to stop themselves from collapsing with laughter. 

They danced to one more upbeat pop song before the song slowed down and blended into another. The notes started off soft and sweet and the two slowed their bodies to accommodate. Maka’s arms moved up to circle around Soul’s neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her close.

The rest of the room seemed to fade away. All there was, was a soft melody and Maka warm in his arms. She nuzzled her face into his neck, fingers playing with the hairs at the back of his head. His face rested just by her temple, he let his lips rest there as they danced.

“Soul,” she murmured. 

“Hmm,” he answered, swaying them gently.

She pulled back just enough so she could look up at him. “You know, I’ve been thinking. About what I said back in April.”

He slowed them to a complete stop. “Yeah?”

Her fingers continued to gently move through his hair, green eyes staring intently over his shoulder. “Yes and, well, I’ve decided something. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t sit here and wait and let you slip away.” Her eyes snapped to his. “You’re worth the risk.”

He couldn’t help it, his arms tightened around her. He stared back at her, uncertain of what to say.

“Can I-” she licked her lips. “Can I have a do over of our kiss?”

Slowly but surely, Soul grinned. He leaned forward until their noses were brushing. “You really don’t have to ask.”

And then they kissed. In the middle of the dance floor with all of their friends watching, they kissed. It was so much different than the small peck they shared months ago and it was  _ so much better _ . It was a bit awkward at first so they tried again. And again. They continued to kiss, his arms moving up her back to pull her closer and her hands moving into his hair, messing up his hard work but he couldn’t care less. They kissed until the sounds of cheering broke them apart.

Flustered and surprised, they pulled away and were met with their friends (and a few random students) clapping and cheering. 

“It’s about time!” Patti yelled.

“Seriously, that took way too long,” agreed Liz, shaking her head with a smile.

Maka blushed furiously and his her face in Soul’s jacket. “You guys are the worst,” she groaned. 

They all laughed and suddenly all crowded them at once, hugging them and patting them on the backs and try as he might, Soul couldn’t stop his own laugh from bubbling out.

He thought of his life this time last year, how he was convinced that was as good as it was going to get. Alone and not good enough for anyone. But here he was, surrounded by friends who would always be there for him and a girl who made him feel like he was everything tucked under his arm. All because he was able to find the courage to walk down an unmarked road. 

This wasn’t the end of his anxieties or the rough patches in his life, not by a long shot, but with friends like these he could face any demon that came his way.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and with that resbang comes to a close! a big thanks to my wonderful artists and to everyone who supported me these past few months! a big shout out to korri (queen-korri on tumblr) and lovely lunar (lunar-resonance on tumblr)!! without their unwavering support i would not have been able to finish this. 
> 
> lots of love!!  
> xkrib


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